A False Sense of Security
by RosyPaths
Summary: Being a Shikon miko was not easy. Having been claimed by a Daiyoukai was not an option, it just happened. Kagome starts falling for Sesshoumaru but can they unite to destroy Naraku before it is too late? *COMPLETE* Kag/Sessh.
1. The Return of the Shampoo Bottle

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The forest was alive with the varying sounds. Birds were singing and trees were bending gently in the soft warm wind as the sun started to rise from the horizon.

Running a hand through her wet hair Kagome yawned. She rested her back against the edge of the hot spring, looking up at the cloudless sky. A little smile played upon her lips and she sighed contently. She had gotten up early to have the time to soak in the water, take her time.

But knowing her friends would get worried if she stayed too long, she got up from the spring and wrapped a towel around her body. Starting to rummage through her back bag for some clean clothes, she was oblivious to anything else.

Hearing a twig snap somewhere behind her, she spun around and almost screamed.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" She said in wonder, tightening her hold on the towel around her.

He simply turned his head to look at her in the eyes, and then turned back, not saying a word.

Kagome stared at him for a moment. What was_ he_ here for? Had he come to fight Inuyasha again? Had he some information on Naraku? But then again why would he tell them..?

It seemed that she had fallen on her thoughts. "Would you stop staring at this Sesshoumaru and go already, unless you wish to see I bathe?" he said, making her blush deep red.

"O-of course." She gathered her stuff and hurried from the clearing. Only after having walked for some ten meters she stopped to think what he had said.

"Ha, like I would want to see something like that…" She huffed to herself and hurried to her camp, dressing on the way.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The morning confrontation wouldn't leave her mind.

She was so irritated that even Shippou didn't dare to come close her.

`Like I would be interested…` she seethed inside. The image of him bathing in the water surfaced on her mind and she quickly shook her head. What was she thinking?!

She suddenly dumped on Inuyasha's back. "Ouch, why are you stopping all of sudden!" She yelled at him, holding her nose that she had hit on his back and looked up over his shoulder when he started growling. Her eyes widened.

There was the person of her thoughts striding across the way towards her. Woops, could he read her mind? Could demons do something like that? Was he going to kill her for thinking dirty of his majesty person-?

Ignoring Inuyasha's growling the Western Lord stepped up to them and looked straight at Kagome, as if the miko was the only person there. He handed her something.

Kagome glanced down at what he was offering her and her eyes widened slightly as she saw her shampoo bottle. "Oh", she reached to take the bottle, "thank you."

He nodded slightly and then turned, starting to leave. "You should keep better care of your belongings."

Kagome looked at his back and as he took off to the sky. She just then realised he had scolded her and let out an unbelieving breathe. She balled her fist and glared after him. How dares he!

She glanced at the shampoo bottle and stuffed it to her back bag. She continued their journey but stopped to glare at her friends, who were just staring at her dumbly. "Oh come on already!" She said in frustration, walking up ahead. Hearing them follow, she looked up to the sky, to where the Lord had vanished to, frowning.

Shaking her head a little she sighed. He didn't really need to return the bottle; she hadn't even remembered it, but… it was kinda nice that he had done so.

Then her eyes widened. Oh gosh, what else was missing?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"Where is Inuyasha?"

Everyone turned to glance at Kagome, Miroku and Sango looking at each other before Miroku looked at Kagome. "I believe he is sulking out there somewhere."

Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Why?" She asked, looking clueless. "It is getting dark, he really should return soon…" She stood up, dusting her green skirt. "I am going looking for him."

"No, Kagome-chan it is dangerous to go out all by yourself-" Sango spoke, but Kagome took her bow and arrows, smiling at the slayer calmingly. "I'll take these, don't worry, I won't be long." She glanced up to the almost nonexistent moon, sad that its light wouldn't illuminate the forests for her. Shippou was sleeping curled up with Kirara near the fire while the slayer and the monk were sitting beside the fire, Sango starting to look sleepy.

Kagome had seen Inuyasha leave, but thought nothing of it. When he hadn't returned, she had gotten worried. She had been doing her homework, trying to understand the mathematics in vain. She could as well take a short walk, and if she found him on the way, the better.

Why had he gotten in such a dark mood? Could it be because of his half brother, she thought they had gotten somewhat over it already, as the two years had passed. Perhaps it was the time of the new moon, when Inuyasha would turn to a human again. He really hated it, being vulnerable when he was supposed to protect them. But they were strong together, even without Inuyasha as a half demon.

Her footing slipped on the mossy forest floor and she almost lost her balance, being able to regain her footing just on the last second. It got a rush of adrenaline running in her veins, and she looked around herself. Perhaps it hadn't been so wise leaving all alone after all, she could barely see before herself anymore. She listened to her surroundings, suddenly feeling as if someone was lurking in the shadows.

She grapped an arrow and put it on place, raising her bow, ready to tense it and fire at any given moment. She crept onwards, and then slipped again. She cursed out loud.

"What was that?"

She stiffed a scream, seeing the figure that had just spoken in the dark, recognizing it just before she was about to fire the arrow.

"God damnit!" she huffed out. "What are you creeping up on me for?" Her hands were shaking and she let the bowstring loosen. She had almost shot at him, but then again he was a demon so fast that she probably wouldn't hit him even if she tried her best.

He walked in closer and she could make out his face now. He was looking at her with his amber eyes that were glowing in the dark inhumanely. She was captured by his stare for a slight moment, but then she glanced around them, remembering where they were at.

He looked around them as well.

She hesitantly lowered her weapon altogether and then a terrible thought hit her. She did not know which way she could return to camp. All she could see were the dark tree trunks and darkness. He was almost radiating light around him with his white clothes and all.

"Um…" she started, seeing him fixate his eyes on her. "Could you tell me which way I could return to my camp?"

"Do I look like a guide to you?" He asked with his low voice.

"Uh, I cannot exactly see you good enough to know…" she answered to him slowly. He was silent. She did not know what to say.

"Fine then." she said and turned to leave. She stopped for a moment, then chose a way and started walking. She realised it was probably not the way she had come from, but she could not exactly turn back, could she now?

Something brushed past her and she watched as Sesshoumaru walk past her, starting to walk before her. She narrowed her eyes at him but then shrugged, following after him. She needed to almost jog to stay on his heels.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Once they came to a meadow, she realised he had not led her back to her camp, but to somewhere elsewhere. She could see a fire crackle on one side of the meadow and recognised familiar beings around it.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" She heard a yell, and a little girl rose up from near the fire, running towards them. Kagome recognised it as Rin, the girl who followed the white dog demon around. She sounded happy to see them, or at least happy to see Sesshoumaru.

"Who is that?" the little girl asked innocently, noticing Kagome was there. Kagome smiled at her a little, uncertain. "I am Kagome." she said.

"Ah, you're the miko." The little girl spoke, seemingly recognizing her now. Rin turned her head to look again at the dog demon, "Lord Sesshoumaru, will she be joining us?"

Kagome looked at him too. Would she be?

He was his silent self, "For the morning." was all they would get from him. He walked off to the forest line, disappearing from sight.

Kagome felt Rin grab onto her arm, starting to lead her toward the campfire. The little girl prattled away conversationally, asking many questions.

Kagome sat down near to warmness of the fire with her, eyeing the green imp also known as Jaken with distrustful eyes. She did not like the toad; she had bad experiences of him from before.

Rin eventually started looking sleepy and Kagome laid her down next to her, upon a blanket of theirs. She watched for some time as the little girl slept, lost in her thoughts. Kagome yawned, placing her hand over her mouth. She was getting tired too.

She glanced over at the imp, who was nodding off, his eyes closed. Kagome sighed, looking around them. Something white near the tree line caught her eye. 'So that was where he slept…' She thought, turning back to the fire.

Deciding there was no sense in staying up when she felt like sleeping right on the spot she was sitting on, she slowly laid herself down next to Rin, closing her eyes, letting sleep overcome her.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The next morning she woke up with a startle. First thing she registered was that the birds were chirping. It had to be morning.

She opened her eyes, rising up to her elbows, looking around herself. The fire had died and her clothes were damp from the dew. She shivered, feeling her skin be cold. For the hundred of times she cursed herself. Why did she have to wear the school uniform in the feudal era when it was so inconvenient at times?

Slowly she rose up to sit. Jaken was still sleeping, as was Rin. Jaken was actually snoring, and quite loudly as she now noted. She wrinkled her nose at the creature, ignoring her brain thinking he was almost something akin to passable as he was sleeping and not babbling and wobbling around with his staff.

From the corner of her eye she saw movement and turned her head to look the way. It was Lord Sesshoumaru.

Kagome watched him walk over to them, looking somewhere to the trees. As he got to her he turned to look at her, extending his arm towards her.

Kagome frowned ever so slightly in confusion, but then hesitantly extended her hand towards him. He grapped onto her wrist, pulling her up to her feet in a flash. In the next second he pulled her at his side, his other arm moving to hold onto her hips, as he pushed at the ground with his powerful feet, leaping up towards the skies.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"Now where is she??"

It was Inuyasha, rambling and pacing around. He was waiting for the sun to rise so that he could return back to being hanyou again and go searching for their lost miko. Sango and Miroku told him that Kagome had left to search for him and had never returned.

Once he had arrived and Kagome had not, they had waited for her to show up.

Inuyasha was gritting his teeth, his mind going over all the things that might have happened to her. As he paced he hit his toe on a stone and yelped out in pain. He cursed, getting angry. Wouldn't that sun just hurry up and rise? He was tired of being a puny human, it was so inconvenient.

Then Shippou jumped up, pointing at the sky. "Look! It's Kagome!"

Inuyasha looked up and his heart froze. He growled instinctively but the sound that left his throat was no where as menacing as it would have been if he would have been his dog hanyou self.

The Western Lord landed in the middle of their camp, letting go the miko he had been transporting. He then stepped back and then, without even a glance into his way, jumped up and disappeared again.

Inuyasha's eyes slid from the disappearing figure of his half brother to his miko to guard. The young woman was staring to the sky, after the demon with a strange baffled look on her face. And was she blushing?

Inuyasha thanked his loss of inhumane senses then. He did not want to know.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	2. Hot Spring Baths are the Best

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Travelling in search of the scattered Shikon jewel pieces was starting to wear her down. She could understand how it was important that they gathered them all back together and no, she hadn't forgotten who it had been to scatter the cursed jewel in the first place.

They'd been tracking Naraku down and with the occasional help of Inuaysha's half brother the task had gotten a lot easier. The confrontations weren't just them loosing anymore, no, they had started to gain the upper hand and the dark hanyou had gotten on the defensive tactic now and was currently running from them for his life. He was trying to disappear, but at least so far they had been able to keep up after him. What bothered Kagome was that Naraku did have some of the Shikon jewel fragments. But then again, as long as he had those, she would be able to track him down so in reality it was a two sided bargain. With the cost of the power he gained he lost his invisibility to her.

The rays of sunlight blinded her momentarily as they stepped out from the woods to a field. A strong gust of wind brushed over them, making their clothes flap in wind, making their hair whirl around. Kagome lifted her hand to cover her eyes, Shippou jumping up on her shoulder.

"There's a village!" she noted, pointing to the way.

"Okay, let's go." Inuyasha urged and they continued their travel. Kagome felt relieved that they would get a chance to rest their feet, perhaps get something to eat as well. Miroku was good at arranging things, and it seemed that the monk had some kind of an idea in his mind already.

Kirara was hurdled up in Sango's arms, napping. Every now and then the cat moved its ear and peeked at world from between its eyelids.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

They walked into the village and asked for a place to stay for the night. In exchange they were put to solve a demon problem for the people. Almost every village they passed had some kind of a problem with demons, so common they were.

Miroku and Inuyasha were set off to get rid of the demon whilst Kagome and Sango sat down to catch a breath.

"You think we could take a bath?" Kagome asked the slayer, who frowned, thinking.

"Sure…" she then said, "Although I don't really feel like bathing again."

Kagome smiled. "Ah, my strange habits again." She rose up, looking around herself. "I'll go ask."

Sango stayed, watching as the children played in the streets of the village. There was a little absent smile playing about her lips as she fell into her thoughts. The thought of Miroku passed her mind. She wondered if he was fairing alright.

Then she huffed at herself. Sure he was. And Inuyasha was with him so nothing bad could really happen…

"Yo, where's Kagome?"

Sango raised her head, looking at Inuyasha. Her eyes checked Miroku by his side, reassuring herself he was alright. "She'll be back soon."

"What about me?"

Inuyasha turned to look up at the miko who was walking towards them. "Oi, don't keep disappearing off like that!"

"Well sorry." Kagome shrugged her shoulders, not really listening to him. "There's supposed to be a hot spring in the outskirts of the village, some way up there." Kagome spoke, pointing the direction. "I think I am going."

"Well I think not."

Kagome stopped to look at Inuyasha. "What did you say?"

Inuyasha looked frustrated. "You just took a bath yesterday."

"Well, so I did but today's different!" Kagome spoke in defence, planting her hands on her hips. "Don't make me say it." She then threatened him with a serious tone.

Inuyasha gulped, his ears flattening ever so slightly against the back of his skull. "Teme…" he cursed silently, gritting his teeth. "Fine!" he then gave in reluctantly. "But I'll see you there and check the environment-"

"-for any dangers, yeah, thanks Inuyasha." Kagome let her hands fall from her hips, smiling excitedly. She just loved hot springs.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome watched Inuyasha leave and turned towards the hot spring, eyeing the warm water curiously. She then smirked and started undressing, an article of clothing after another falling to the ground.

Kagome felt the water with her hand, and then stepped in carefully. The water was delightfully warm.

The miko sank down into the water, letting it surround her body. She sighed in contentment, cupping some water on her hands and splashing it on her face. There was nothing better than a bath to have time alone, without Inuyasha yelling by your ear or Shippou fighting with Inuyasha, or Miroku groping Sango and the slayer then hitting the monk till he was surrendering. Sometimes the miko just needed some time alone. And not that she minded hot springs, in modern day Japan she'd have to pay a lot to get to soak in one, not to mention in the middle of a wild forest.

Opening her eyes she looked before herself for a moment before she came to realisation with a start. The first automatic reaction was a blood chilling scream. There was someone in the spring with her!

The scream had the time to rise to her throat before a hand was clapped over her mouth. She screamed against the hand before she lost her consciousness.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, blinking. Had she fainted?

Frowning she realised that somebody's hands were holding her. She lifted her head up to look at the person. Her eyes widened greatly.

Kagome experienced a feeling of unreality then. This couldn't be real, could it? What the hell was he doing in her spring!?

She yelled against the hand and it earned her a warning glance. She reluctantly shut her mouth, momentarily considering biting his hand. She frowned angrily and brought her hand up to try and lift his hand and he let it fall away.

"Just what the hell are you doing??" She wanted an explanation.

He didn't answer right away, instead he leaned a little bit closer, making her back away against the stones surrounding the spring. With her cornered he then straightened his back, looking somewhere into the forest. It seemed like he was listening.

"It isn't all that safe up here." He then said to her coyly, turning his eyes back to hers.

She was amazed that he even looked at her. But then something started to bother her greatly. She totally lost her words, now avoiding her eyes, actually rising her hand to cover her sigh. "Um, Sesshoumaru…" she muttered, feeling her cheeks heat up despite trying to keep her cool, "why are you naked?"

"This Sesshoumaru is not in the habit of bathing with clothes on." he kept a brief pause. "And neither seem you be."

Kagome hugged her tighter, sinking lower into the water. Shit! "Have you no manners??" She hissed at him, finally looking at him. The water was caressing his sides in a slow motion, and she couldn't keep her eyes from recording the way he looked into her memory, not to mention stop her dirty mind from starting to imagine things…

"Oh but it was not I who trespassed into here in the first place."

Kagome felt her jaw slack. No way was he implying… "You have been here all the time? In the spring?" She felt like she could faint again any given second. She buried her face into her hands, taking a shaky breath. This was so not happening… "Am I sleeping?"

"You wish."

She peeked at him from between her fingers, letting her hands drop onto the surface of the water. He had moved to soak in the other side of the spring, opposite to her.

As she looked at him he lifted his head, his predatory eyes switching to her in an instant. He held her case for a moment before turning his head away from her, seemingly respecting her somewhat.

Kagome was bewildered. She leaned back against the stones rimming the spring, sure to keep the surface of the water reaching her shoulders. There was the slightest of frowns marring her face as she was trying her hardest to figure him out. Then a thought hit her. How was she supposed to get out of the spring? There was no way she was going to get out of the water naked with him around.

And what was he doing anyway? Wasn't he insulted that a mere human shared the same water around him? Although they had reached something akin to a truce during the time spent fighting Naraku she still couldn't let this pass as being friendly. She narrowed her eyes. What was he plotting at?

There was some mist evaporating from the spring, mixing with the cooler air. Kagome sat there motionless for some minutes and when nothing really changed, they both just stayed and soaked, she decided that she shouldn't really waste her time altogether. Turning her back at him she rose slightly up from the water, reaching for her yellow trusted back bag she had dumped, luckily for her, quite near the spring. Opening the bag she searched for her hair washing equipment and finding them she quickly emerged back to the water, her skin shivering from the sudden temperature difference.

She had been careful to choose products that did not leave residues into the water or the nature. It would be a little strange for the locals to find their springs bubbling with perfect white shampoo foam… They probably would think it to be the work of a demon.

Squeezing some of the liquid onto her palm she glanced at Sesshoumaru. He was not watching at her. Good. Kagome proceeded on taking her bath. She'd be damned to let him ruin her peace and quiet.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	3. Unlikely Saviour

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The mist evaporated from the spring, making it pleasantly misty around her as she sunk underneath the surface to rinse.

She still hardly believed that she was taking a bath with him, of all people.

As she rose back up, wiping water from her face to blink her eyes open she was faced with that said person yet again. Now she was seriously starting to think he could read minds…

"What now?" she asked him but was pushed against the edge of the spring, a warning look on his face. He was listening to something yet again.

Kagome kept her mouth shut, looking around herself as well. What was it now? He was awfully tense about something…

She had proceeded in controlling her miko powers in the past couple of years spent travelling around in the era of demons and so she decided to try and find out what he was so jumpy about. Reaching her miko senses around herself she examined the territory, coming to find auras of a group of demons. Her eyes widened. They were quite strong too.

He cast a glance at her, moving a little on his place, his muscles moving underneath his skin, disturbing the miko momentarily. They waited silently for some time, both hoping not to be noticed, barely daring to breathe.

After some time Sesshoumaru's shoulders dropped slightly and he turned his face to her. She sifted her eyes to his, blinking them in question. His mouth opened ever so slightly and he then leaned in closer, making Kagome wonder what the hell he was up to now. Her eyes widened as it started to seem he was going to kiss her. Her mind panicked but he did not give her any time, and instead of going for her lips, he went past them to her neck and down.

Kagome gasped a breath, tensing all over as his lips made contact with her skin. Her miko powers flared in response to the feeling of his youki, which was so strong it threatened to overpower her.

She felt his fangs scrape at her skin along the joint of her shoulder and neck and let out surprised and pained yelp when he bit down onto her skin. Her arms rose up to frantically push against his chest as she was trying to get away from him, her eyes wide as saucers. What the hell was he doing?! Trying to kill her?

"Let me go!" she screamed out at him, but his hand came up again to clasp itself over her mouth and she heard him growl against her skin, slowly drawing his fangs from her skin, his tongue coming out to give a lick at the mark he had placed on her.

"Be quiet!" he snarled at her, his eyes rimming with red. Her breath caught in her throat at seeing his expression and she ceased her struggle.

His eyes sifted from her to the woods behind him and she heard him curse silently. He then gave her one last angered glance before moving past her and out of the spring.

He was not completely naked though; he was wearing his white long pants he usually wore. So he had been cheating after all, although she would have no difficulty in imagining him naked with those white now also wet pants on... Kagome shook her head. What was she even thinking at a time like this??

She turned to look over her shoulder at him and at the woods behind her that he was so focused on now and her heart skipped a beat as she saw four youkai emerging from the tree line. A surge of panic arose in her. So that was why… Those youkai had not left; they just simply had taken a detour to get closer to them.

One of them, who looked like their leader, a tall youkai of Sesshoumaru's height, adorned with bright red hair stepped forward. "Well, well, well… What do we have here? I have seen you somewhere, ne?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, regarding the four youkai coldly. "This Sesshoumaru does not recognise any of you." He spoke on his low baritone voice, every last syllable holding a manner of confidence and power.

Kagome saw one of the youkai, who looked like the youngest, flinch a step back. Her concerned eyes passed on to the inu youkai standing in between her and the four. Were they after the Shikon shards? Her hand automatically rose to clutch the little glass jar containing the jewel shard hanging from her neck.

The red haired demons eyes sifted onto her as she moved and Kagome cursed in her mind. She saw Sesshoumaru take a step to the right so that he was blocking the demons view.

"Protective are we?" The red head mused, looking back at the white haired inu demon. "Sesshoumaru, was it?" There was a narrowing of the demons eyes to be defected. "Even if you have claimed her, it might work for some but it will not stop us."

"This Sesshoumaru advises you to leave this area immediately." Sesshoumaru spoke.

The four chuckled, seemingly unfazed. "Oh, and say, what if we will not?" The other three demons took steps forward to stand by the fourth one's side, all looking ready to battle if need be. Kagome noted they had weapons hanging from their armour. "The Shikon no Tama shards are all too valuable to be hold by a little miko like that."

Kagome frowned, taking a step back in the spring, clutching the jaw in her fist. They were after the Shikon shards? Of course, what else… Her eyes looked at possible ways to run off, but she really found none. She considered something to use as a weapon but hardly found anything with her gaze. What worried her was that Sesshoumaru was not either carrying his swords. Kagome gritted her teeth. This was going to be tough.

"Sesshoumaru." she called him, her voice firm. He turned to look at her ever so slightly from the corner of his eye. She nodded at him, a message being passed between the two at that simple gesture.

She saw his almost nonexistent reply to that and watched his back, alert.

"Then you will leave this Sesshoumaru no choice." The inu demon spoke, and in a flash he had moved.

Kagome drew her lungs full of air and sunk under the surface as deep as she could get. She channelled her youki powers out and into the water, making the spring a steamy bath that would fry any demons ass who tried to get her. Underneath the surface, surrounded with the water with her eyes closed the minute she was submerged felt like ten. She was wondering how he was managing and if when she had to surface for air she would be faced with a blood thirsty demon after her. What if he failed? What if he was killed?

Kagome started to feel unbearable need to breath. She struggled few more seconds before she was absolutely forced to come up for air.

She opened her eyes, panting for the breath she so desperately needed. She looked around herself frantically, seeing nobody. Then her eyes snapped to three forms of the youkai she had just seen a moment ago. They were on the ground, unmoving. Sesshoumaru had managed to kill them, but one was missing.

Kagome started feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise and she quickly went back down underneath the surface. She felt something sharp scrape against her neck, and she almost cried out in pain and surprise.

Then something joined her to the spring and she watched with wide eyes the fourth body sank past her. She quickly came back to the surface, gasping for air, couching and sputtering. She had ceased the flow of her miko powers into the water when she had first risen and now Sesshoumaru was standing in the water, reaching down for the body. He fished it out of the water and flung it to where the other three were.

Kagome watched from the bodies to him, shaking all over. From fear, from the rush of adrenaline or the near death experience, she wasn't sure.

She watched his partly red rimmed eyes sift to her and tensed, her breathing catching into her throat again. His eyes sifted to the cut the fourth demon had managed to place on her neck and swam to her to examine it.

Kagome didn't dare to move, she was frozen on place.

His hand came out and he ran a finger along the edge of the cut. He then splashed some water on it, making her grimace. He huffed slightly, grapping a hold of her shoulder, placing his mouth on the cut. She felt him lick the mark, seal it with his saliva. It burned a little, but she kept her pain inside, enduring it. At least it was affective, and the wound was sealed in a matter of seconds.

He pulled back, looking into her eyes with his golden ones. "Good work." he said to her with his calm and collected voice, turning his back at her and getting out of the spring. "You should return to your friends."

Kagome watched him leave, take the dead demons with him. Kagome shook herself out of it and quickly get out of the spring, dressing up in what first came to her hands as she rummaged through her yellow back bag. She then gathered her stuff and started running to the direction in which she knew she would find the village and her friends.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	4. Morning Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome was lying on her back on the floor, tucked into her sleeping back. It was night and the moon had raised high, casting a pale spot of light on her from a little ventilation window of the hut high on one wall. The miko watched moon, lost in her thoughts. She frowned ever so slightly, her fingers coming up to her neck. She ran her fingers over the cut the inu demon had sealed. It had healed into nothing but a pink thin stripe already.

Biting her lower lip she moved her fingers to the bite mark on her neck, hidden underneath the collar of her blouse.

Why had he bitten her?

The miko's mind went back to the things that had taken place earlier that day. She had come to the conclusion he had bitten her to… "claim her", to scare off the demons and keep them from her. From the little that she knew about demon mating she had learned from Sango, Kagome knew claiming was something akin to getting engaged by human standards.

That thought made her feel baffled and unnerved. Still she couldn't really comprehend it all. Perhaps the thoughts would be better organized when she woke up in the morning? If she could even sleep, that is.

The miko's gaze wandered to the sleeping form of Inuyasha. The hanyou was sitting with his back against a wall of the hut, his Tetsusaiga sword resting against his shoulder while his arms were crossed over his chest. His head was dipping towards his chest and his white triangle ears kept twitching on the top of his head every now then.

Inuyasha had been greatly upset when he had seen her running towards them in panic, panting and looking like the devil was after her. Inuyasha had smelled his half brothers scent on her and had jumped into conclusions. He had been livid.

Kagome had been forced to sit him to get him to listen to her. She had explained that while she had been bathing she had been assaulted by four demons that had been after the Shikon shards and that then Sesshoumaru had appeared to save her day. There was no need telling her friends that in all actuality, he had been there even before she had been and that he had bitten her. No, there would be too much to digest, at least for Inuyasha. He was overprotective at times, she knew.

Kagome felt the dimly glowing pink Shikon shards against her chest. She let out a deep breath, rolling onto her back, enclosing the little glass jar into her fist. These little shards had proved to be so troublesome, especially when they had gathered quite an amount of them. That Naraku bastard she believed had the other half of the Shikon gathered. It was coming closer to the point where they would finally confront each other.

Kagome felt her eyelids get heavy. She yawned, closing her eyes slowly. Perhaps she should just sleep for now…

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

In the morning when Kagome woke up she smelled the heavy scent of the earth mixed with the fresh scent of rain and leaves. It was raining.

Stretching she rose up to sit on her sleeping bag, shivering a little from the change of temperature as she wormed out of the warm bag. Glancing around herself she found all of her friends still asleep. It must be early, then. But she felt rested already.

Glancing at Inuyasha she noted him to be asleep as well. Shippou was snoring on his back by Kirara who was curled up, sleeping cutely. Miroku had somehow during the night edged himself closer to Sango who herself had turned and twisted towards him and the two were sleeping not where they had fallen asleep but almost in each others arms. Kagome suppressed the urge to giggle. They were so cute.

She silently rose up and crept towards the door. As she passed Inuyasha, the hanyou startled form his sleep and opened his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't be going far. I'll be back in a minute." Kagome whispered to him reassuringly, watching him fall back to sleep almost instantly.

The miko left the hut and breathed in the morning air.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

A couple of minutes later Kagome walked back to the hut, but stopped short from going back in. Instead she turned around and headed for the little stream running through the village. There was a little bridge crossing the stream and she went to sit on the bridge, lowering her legs into the cool water.

Moving her legs back and forth languidly the Shikon miko fell into her thoughts. She had hardly thought of anything much when her miko senses spiked up and warned her of danger. Strangely enough a part of her told her it was nothing to worry about and as she looked up, she located the inu youkai from yesterday, walking over to her.

Kagome straightened her back and drawing her legs from the water she stood up to greet him. "Sesshoumaru-sama, what a surprise…"

He did not quite answer her at all, just stopped some five meters from her, glancing towards the hut where Inuyasha was still sleeping in. He then made eye contact with her and with a nod of his head requested she'd follow him.

Kagome frowned, quickly glancing at the hut. She really shouldn't…

But he was already striding away.

With one last look at the hut she turned and almost ran after him. She really should talk to him, after all. She wanted some answers.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

He had stopped on the edge of the grassy field through which Kagome had originally entered the village. She walked over to him, stopping just some two meters from him. She looked at him with a questioning frown. "Why did you claim me?"

He turned his head towards her smoothly and his eyes locked with hers, the bright golden gems boring into her with such intensity and intelligence the miko felt weak at the knees momentarily. "So you know about it."

"How could I not? It hurts you know…" the miko muttered, looking away from his eyes.

"Hn." he huffed, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer. "This Sesshoumaru was not intending on claiming you."

"Then why did you?" Kagome asked him, licking her lips as she thought about her words. "You did not exactly… need to save me from the demons."

She could sense him tense, and the colder tone of his voice proved her theory right. "Hn. Are you sad then that I did?"

Kagome shook her head quickly, smiling a little apolitically. "Arigato, for saving me, Sesshoumaru-sama." she gave him a slight bow. "But still… Why?"

He let out a breath, almost as if he had sighed. "The miko asks too many questions."

"You mean I should just be thankful and shut up about it?"

"That is what this Sesshoumaru means."

Kagome crossed her arms loosely over her chest, huffing, closing her eyes. "I see." She breathed out, listening to the wind rustle his clothes.

"It will become harder."

She cracked one eyes open, then the other one too. "What will?"

He didn't look at her; instead he gazed at the rising sun that was blurry behind all the mist still in the air after the rain. "Many youkai will come after you."

"Because of the Shikon no Tama." Kagome said.

"Correct." He affirmed. "You must be careful."

"If Naraku would get his hands on the jewel…"

"… The game would be lost." Sesshoumaru finished for her.

Kagome nodded. "I understand." She then worried her lower lip, turning to look at him. "Is that why you claimed me?"

This time he did sigh, turning his head to look at her. A gust of wind swayed his perfect white hair which looked really good in contrast with his lively golden eyes. He took a couple of steps closer to her, moving in stealthy way that made it look like he was just merely gliding over the grass.

He stopped just short from her. Kagome looked up at him, keeping her calm. It wouldn't do to step back in fear now. Not that she really was afraid of him.

He leaned in closer, towards the joint of her shoulder where he had bit her. His eyes passed over hers and his claws came up to move the collar of her blouse, and delving down he sealed the mark with his lips.

Kagome let out a breathy gasp. She tensed, but in the same time she felt her mind relax, wander off somewhere. She could feel his youki all too close to herself but somehow she did not feel the need to fight against it. Her miko power lay dormant just underneath her skin.

She felt his hand move onto the small of her back as he pulled her closer to himself, kissing the mark. Kagome's eyelids hooded and she weakly moved as he wanted her to. Her head lolled to the side, away from his, to give him more space to do what ever he did.

Just as quickly as he started he ended what he was doing. Sesshoumaru stopped kissing the mark, letting his cheek brush against her neck and cheek as he pulled back. His hand slipped off from holding her on place and he stepped back. "It should be better now." he said to her, looking into her eyes. She wasn't sure but she thought she saw a spark of humour in his eyes as he looked at her. What was so funny about her?

Kagome nodded meekly, trying to gather herself. She felt totally relaxed.

"Return to your friends, Kagome." he told her, taking a couple of steps back and disappearing. Kagome blinked her eyes, looking around herself. Damn but he was fast.

The miko raised her hand to touch the mark and shivered despite not feeling cold. She needed to have a chat with Sango about the effects of the claiming mark. She was not feeling quite herself… it was like he had bewitched her.

And had he just called her by her name?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	5. Claiming Mark

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"You smell."

Kagome looked down over Inuyasha's shoulder at the hanyou who was fleeting over the ground, carrying her on his back. "Care to repeat that?" she muttered back.

"I said you smell."

"I heard you!" Kagome snapped, glaring at him although he wasn't even looking at her.

Shippou, who was clinging on Kagome's shoulder, snickered. "Inuyasha doesn't like you smelling like Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled at the kitsune who just growled back.

Kagome let out a long deep sigh. "Stop it you two. I am sorry Inuyasha." She knew that his nose was keen, Shippou's even keener, and that Inuyasha didn't really appreciate the scent of his older half brother.

"Keh." Inuyasha huffed, looking ahead to where he was running.

"You made Kagome sad!" Shippou yelled at Inuyasha who in turn growled the kitsune to shut up about it.

The miko had not yet told her friends that she was claimed by Sesshoumaru. Well, it was not like they were going to be mates – if that would even be possible considering that she was a human – and from what she knew it would wear off eventually. So there was no need to worry. Right?

Shippou and Inuyasha carried on cussing each other and Kagome started to feel like her head was about to explode as it was ringing so loudly with their voices. "Inuyasha, don't make me say it!" she threatened, getting the hanyou to shut his mouth. "And what comes to you Shippou, you will not be getting any of those candies you so love if you don't stop."

Shippou looked at her with large eyes, making a gesture of zipping his mouth shut.

"Good." Kagome said, turning to gaze ahead of them. They were moving in on their target. She could feel the tiny tingle of the Shikon jewel on the edge of her miko senses.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"Watch out!" Kagome fired an arrow flaming with her miko powers, hitting a target near Inuyasha.

The hanyou growled and slashed the demon with Tetsusaiga. It kept regenerating.

Kagome gritted her teeth, panting for breath. They must have been fighting for an hour already. The miko glanced at the sky, where Kirara was carrying Sango and Miroku on her back, the monk trying to use his Kazaana to suck in any detached limbs of the creature while Sango cut the youkai into pieces with her Hiraikotsu.

Just when she had looked away the youkai saw the opportunity to attack and did not miss it.

"Kagome!" she heard Inuyasha yell in horror and snapped her head to see spikes of youki flying towards her. She rolled onto the ground, just short from being hit by the spikes, and her miko powers surfaced the flare around her.

The demon, which looked like a humanoid giant, laughed with a booming voice. He was after blood, her blood.

"Get the shard out of it!" Sango screamed out at them, doing her best to keep the demon from attacking her friends and comrades.

Kagome put another arrow on her bow, ready to shoot. She aimed at the demon and let the arrow fly, yelling to Inuyasha; "go for the neck, now!"

Inuyasha slashed at the demon with Tetsusaiga, effectively cutting its neck off. Kagome didn't even grimace. She had gotten so used to slaying demons over the years. Kagome ran to the demon, taking the shards from it. Immediately the body stopped moving and shrunk back to its original size. Kagome let out a deep sigh, falling on her knees on the ground. She looked at the two little shards on her palm, demon blood all over her.

Kirara came down from the air and Sango and Miroku proceeded on getting rid of the remains of the youkai properly.

Inuyasha walked over to the miko, his great sword over his shoulder, looking all too heavy for him to carry but he carried it like it weighted as much as a feather. He looked at the shards for a moment. "Good thing we found those."

"Yeah…" Kagome muttered, closing her fist, rising up to stand again. "Two more down."

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Later that day when they had made camp and were resting, Kagome went over to Sango who was cleansing her Hiraikotsu.

The slayer looked up at the miko, who looked like something bothered her. "Are you alright Kagome?" Sango asked, laying the boomerang down.

Kagome sighed and shook her head with a smile, sitting down next to her friend. "This might be a silly question but… Wasn't being claimed like being engaged?"

Sango thought about it for a few seconds and nodded. "Are you thinking about…" she then looked over at Inuyasha, who was setting up a fire with Shippou.

Kagome traced her friend's gaze and was slightly taken a back when she saw he meant Inuyasha. She felt baffled. Of course they would think it would be about Inuyasha…

Kagome shook her head. "No… To be honest I… don't really think he likes me all that much. You know how he feels about Kikyo…"

Sango smiled understandingly. "It cannot be helped, huh?"

"Hmn…" Kagome muttered, looking down at her hands. "So, what happens if this person who is claimed gets mated, and how does that really work anyway, and also, if they don't get mated… Won't the marking just wear off?"

Sango frowned slightly, going through her brain for the answers. "Well…" she raised her eyebrows, sighing so that her chest heaved. "Mating rituals are different for every youkai species, and mating can only happen between two full fledged youkai. A claiming mark, which is given to possible mates, will wear off eventually but the side effects usually make it sure that the pair is mated."

"How is that?" Kagome asked, listening carefully to what the slayer told her. "What kind of side effects?"

Sango looked at the sky, thinking. "I guess it is something in the lines of feeling the mate-to-be is irresistible and… The effects really vary so I cannot give you a proper answer." She looked at the miko with question in her eyes. "The basic idea is feeling greatly infatuated, most often mutually. The person might also get anxious if parted with this mate-to-be and so close contact becomes essential at some point… It might help if you told me what kind of a youkai you are thinking of?"

Kagome blushed. "Eh, never mind, I was just curious…" She laughed it away a little nervously. Sango just gave her a strange look but didn't press the matter.

Kagome was telling herself to calm down. It wouldn't be that bad, really. He had a self control of that of steel. And he wouldn't ever have claimed her in the first place if, for it wouldn't do having a ningen as ones mate when you were him. Right?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	6. Two weeks or two months

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The sun was shining through the few fluffy clouds lazily drifting over the sky. It was really warm – a perfect summer day.

Kagome and the others were taking a break from travelling, just enjoying the weather and the peace as long as it lasted.

Shippou was with Inuyasha in the shade of a tree, the inu napping with his arms crossed over his chest and the kitsune savouring a lollipop Kagome had rewarded him with fro acting nicely. The little kitsune could pull out pranks like no one if he did not have something constructive to do.

Miroku and Sango were talking quietly, heads pressed together, some way from them on the flower meadow.

Kagome was trying to read a book she had brought with her to the past to give herself some ways to relax. For the tenth time she realised she was reading the same page over and over again, despite trying to comprehend the story. Guess she just couldn't concentrate on something so trivial when she had more important matters pressing at her mind.

"Hey, what's that?" Shippou asked, jumping up and pointing the direction. Inuyasha was up on his feet, his hand on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga in a second. Kagome looked up to the direction, her eyes widening. Oh shit…

"What the hell is he doing here?" Inuyasha growled, pulling out his sword which transformed into a big gleaming fang-like sword.

"Inuyasha, sit." Kagome snapped and the hanyou was sent eating dirt in one determined pull of the prayer beads.

"What the hell was that for!?" Inuyasha yelled at her, trying to get up.

Kagome rose up sit, shielding her vision from the sun with her hand. She could see the two headed dragon in the distance, along with him. They come coming towards them.

Closer up they could see Rin, the human girl who travelled with him, and the green imp Jaken be with the inuyoukai as well. Kagome watched them come closer, the little girl jumping from the dragons back to start picking flowers.

The miko stood up, dusting her skirt. Shippou jumped on her shoulder.

"What are they doing here?" he asked by whispering to her ear.

"I don't know…" Kagome muttered back, catching the look the inuyoukai gave to the kitsune. She gulped. Trouble ahead… "Why don't you go play with Rin, hmn? I'm sure she could use some company closer to her age."

"Oh, okay." The kitsune jumped from her shoulder, his lollipop between his teeth as he ran on all fours to where the girl was.

Kagome stared back at the tall inuyoukai, who kept staring at her.

"Kagome?" Sango asked her, coming to stand next to her.

"I… I need to talk with him." she said, starting to walk towards the demon.

"The hell you are!" Inuyasha spat out.

"Sit." Kagome muttered, not even looking back at the hanyou. She walked over to where the youkai was, and then past him. He turned and followed her.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

They walked in the forest surrounding the big meadow. Kagome made sure she wasn't tripping on any tree roots as they walked.

"So…" she started. "How are you doing?" She mentally slapped herself on the forehead. What a stupid question!

"This Sesshoumaru is doing just fine." He however answered her.

"Well eh, that's good."

"How are you doing?"

Kagome glanced at him. "Well I-" but that was when she was not watching where she was walking and she stripped. She didn't even have the time to yelp when she was pulled against a chest, steadied on her feet, stopped from falling.

She looked up at him with wide, grateful eyes. "T-thank you." she stuttered, feeling herself blush.

"Hn." he answered, not quite letting go of her. His golden eyes bored down on her, looking into the depths of her gentle brown eyes. She didn't even dare to blink.

When she finally let her go she didn't know anymore why they were where they were. Why had she pulled him to side? To talk? She could hardly remember anything she should discuss with him.

He walked past her and she followed after, feeling greatly confused. Her eyes kept returning to his form, watching his back. When he suddenly stopped after some time, she almost collided into him.

"We shouldn't walk so far away." he noted, turning to look at her.

She felt strangely numb to everything else when he looked at her. What was going on?

"Are you… feeling it?" she asked with hesitantly.

"Hn." he answered her, and her eyes widened at his confession. "As this Sesshoumaru told you, it is becoming harder to stay away."

Kagome was ready to panic. Shit! She was a goner…

But then again… was that so bad a thing?

She shook her head. Shut up!

He glanced at her, then away.

The miko let out a breath and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. "How long until the mark wears off?" she asked him. "And why did you claim me in the first place?" She then questioned.

He looked back at her. "It could be two week, or two months."

Kagome looked at him with jaw hanging. "You're kidding!"

He frowned. "This Sesshoumaru is not 'kidding' you." he then sifted a little on his place, crossing his arms inside his sleeves much like Inuyasha did when he was sulking. "This Sesshoumaru marked you because the situation was as it was, and you were in heat."

Kagome blinked her eyes. In heat? "C-care to explain that?"

"You were in heat."

Kagome gritted her teeth, counting to five in her mind to calm down. "Yes, but then what? I am a human, it should not affect you."

"You are a miko." he said.

"Does that make things somehow different?" she asked him.

"Very much so." he answered.

Kagome raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? How?"

She saw him close his eyes for the slightest of time, as if he was starting to become somewhat irritated at her endless questions. "It is… not something that this Sesshoumaru can just explain."

Kagome frowned.

"You are not just a human, you are not like the other humans. You are… different."

"Well how am I different?" Kagome asked, trying not to get irritated herself.

He looked down at her. "This Sesshoumaru will not list things out for you." he said coldly. "The miko is powerful. That alone can attract demons after the miko."

Okay, he was talking very much in the third persona. That was not good.

Kagome let out a sigh, going through his words in her head. Guess he had explained to her why. "Alright… I understand." she gave in. But really, two months? She looked at him doubtingly. "Will you make through two months?" she asked him seriously.

That was when she for the first time saw him smile. It was unnerving as much as shocking! "It is not this Sesshoumaru that you should be worried about." he said.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	7. Dare

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The miko walked out of the forest to the sunshine of the meadow. She was fuming silently at the daiyoukai walking leisurely after her. Damn him, who was he to tell her she was going to give in before him? As if…

"You might want to calm down." she heard him say to her and she stopped and turned to look back at him from over her shoulder.

"What for?" she groaned, frowning like she was slightly pissed off.

He walked close to her until he was almost touching her. Kagome froze on her place, she did not back off. He leaned in a little closer, looking deep into her eyes. His molten golden eyes examined hers in a way that made her shiver. He gazed at her firmly, and she found herself gulping nervously, starting to calm down because of him.

"There you go." he said, slowly straightening back up. He then passed her, walking to where Ah-Un and Jaken were keeping an eye on Rin.

Kagome looked after him, rolling her eyes, sighing. Was she starting to have mood swings because of this whole claiming thing? Looking at him with clear brown eyes she frowned slightly. This was all so weird…

Walking over to where Inuyasha was she plopped down against the tree trunk. The hanyou looked at her with narrowed eyes, those which he then turned to his older half brother. "What the hell is wrong with you two!?" he then asked, clearly confused. It was not good – he got quite irritated when he did not understand something.

"Nothing." Kagome muttered to him, looking at the daiyoukai standing in the meadow.

Sango and Miroku walked over to them. "We should probably get going, don't you think, Inuyasha?" Miroku offered, looking from between Kagome and the daiyoukai discreetly. But Kagome caught that. She looked at Sango with a question in her eyes and the taiyja smiled at her meekly. So Miroku knew now too.

"Yes, let's go." Kagome said, standing back up.

"Finally!" Inuyasha yelled, standing up in a flash. He looked eager to leave.

"Inuyasha."

They all froze, turning to look at the inuyoukai who had spoken.

"Teme…" Inuyasha growled silently, looking at the youkai with resentment. "What now?!" he snarled.

The white haired daiyoukai walked over to them, stopping a respectable way from them. "We will be joining your group." he announced.

"The hell you are!" the hanyou expressed his own mind.

"You are?" Kagome asked, feeling faint. If this was one of his tricks again, she swore she'd-

"Naraku is our enemy. We have better chances on defeating him if we unite to destroy him." the demon explained, looking slightly aloof. Like it was not that he wanted them to, just that the circumstances forced the deal on them.

Kagome was gazing at the demon in disbelief. How was she supposed to live with him around? She then thought about it a little better. Perhaps it wouldn't actually be that bad with him around? Wasn't it supposed to be easier if the claimed ones were close, there wouldn't be that many side affects and stuff?

"Fine." Kagome said, looking at her friends. What would they say?

Shippou, who jumped on Kagome's shoulder, said; "It's fine with me! I can play with Rin-san!"

Kagome smiled a little at the kitsune, and at the girl who was now standing by the tall inuyoukai's leg, looking up at the kitsune with sparkling eyes. Sure the two would be glad of each others company.

"Hmn, it sounds like a plan." Miroku wondered, rubbing his chin in thought. "With Sesshoumaru-sama joining us, we surely would have better chances to defeat Naraku."

"Not to mention the demons would keep away from the jewel." Sango added as an after thought, looking at Kagome. The miko raised an eyebrow at the woman. Surely Sango meant something more than it just sounded like…

"Keh!" Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Why was he made to succumb to this??

Kagome smiled a little at the hanyou. "It's decided then." She declared. "Where to now?"

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Travelling with a silent daiyoukai staring at your back wasn't the most pleasant experience. Kagome could feel him staring at her, and oh, kami help her if she would travel on Inuyasha's back the demon would be livid under the cold exterior. But he was keeping his cool just fine, at least for now.

"When are we going to make camp?" Shippou wailed, rubbing his tired eyes. They had been travelling two days with a little sleep or pauses. The sun had already sunk down behind the horizon and it was getting dark fast.

"Shippou is right, we should make a camp." Kagome said to Inuaysha, who was jumping from tree to tree, hardly touching the braches as he flew great lengths between them.

The hanyou slowed down, feeling weariness on himself as well. With his half brother he did not want to show any weakness but he was half a human and needed his rest. The bastard could probably go for a week without rest; he was a demon after all.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome was snuggling into her pink sleeping bag, feeling drop dead tired. Even though there was a demon – and we do not count Shippou or Kirara now – travelling with them, they should stick to their old routines when it came to sleeping.

She had barely laid her head down when her eye lids slid close. She didn't care for the sounds of the others making camp or the rustling of the dry leaves on the ground, no, she just wanted her sleep.

Almost falling asleep she startled back. Cracking her eyes open she made sure everything was fine. She had felt something…

Opening her eyes a little more she turned her head, watching with a blurry vision at the daiyoukai who had appeared to lean against a tree not so far from her. She narrowed her eyes at him warningly but did not have the strength to mind him now.

She distantly heard the imp Jaken nag to Rin about something, and Inuyasha yell him to shut up. The figure of the white haired inu youkai was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Waking up with a startle, Kagome wondered where the hell she was. She felt cool morning air against her skin and she shivered. Sitting up sleepily still, she yawned.

"So you finally wake up."

Her head snapped up to look at the youkai who had spoken. She blinked her eyes at him, looking around herself. "But everyone else is still asleep." she wondered with a confused frown.

He stood up from his place against a tree trunk. His clothes looked as clean as if he hadn't been sitting on the ground at all. "I assume you want to bathe?" he asked, patiently waiting for her answer.

Kagome looked at him incredulously, fighting back the habit to ask him repeat himself. But he was right; she hadn't bathed for a couple of days now...

"You reek of the hanyou." he informed her, making the last of the sleep vanish from her system.

Her miko powers flared up, irritated. He looked calmly at her in return, and her irritation slowly wore off. He didn't mean it to sound bad, it was just the way he said things.

"Yes, I want to bathe." she affirmed to him, holding her chin up, making sure she came up as clearly as she could.

"This Sesshoumaru will see you safe." he told her.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Don't get me wrong, it was lovely to soak in a hot spring in the quiet hours of the morning, absolutely sure that nothing on Earth could get to you. You could be just as vulnerable as you were. You could forget about securing your environment and keeping an eye out for enemies... But bathing while knowing there was demon such as Sesshoumaru out there somewhere, not all that far away, circling you, how could you relax and let your defence drop?

Kagome kept constantly glancing around herself, into the forest and the trees and the bushes. She didn't want to strain her miko powers or waste them to know where exactly he was so she did not know. She constantly had the feeling he could appear in front of her, or better still, behind her at any given second. It was unnerving!

"Okay I have had enough!" she yelped out, generally at him. "Come here."

It took a moment for him to arrive. "What is wrong?" he asked her, not looking straight at her. "Are you hurt?"

Kagome sighed, smacking herself on the forehead. "No, I am not." she spoke out. "I just can't… focus on anything!" She was pretty sure he was thinking her to be crazy by now. "You. Stay. And don't you dare look."

"With all the respect miko," he spoke out, "what you are asking is ridiculous."

"Is that even a word?" she muttered to him.

"What?"

"Nothing." she quickly chimed. "I can't bathe when I don't know where you are exactly."

He was looking into the forest, standing sideways towards her. He was silent for a moment. "How are you expecting this Sesshoumaru to just stay idly while you…"

Kagome sifted her gaze to him, the water surface up to cover just the swell of her breasts. "I didn't know I was asking that much of you." She then huffed. "I wonder then how can you even travel with me?"

"Hn."

"You hate it when I travel on Inuyasha's back, don't you?" she asked him, leaning her elbows against the grassy ground just on the edge of the spring. She sighed silently, feeling content in the massage of the warm water.

"You should not wear that, that thing." he spoke to her with a slight frown. He was referring to her short green school uniform skirt.

"Why not?" She asked him with a pout.

"For your own good." he answered.

"Ah, can you not handle me in a short skirt?" she teased him, a smug smile about her lips.

She saw the corner of his mouth tug upwards. "This Sesshoumaru can handle you very well in anything."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, not feeling like letting him win this. "A-ha?" she wondered doubtfully. "I bet you cannot."

"This Sesshoumaru bets you cannot handle me."

Kagome's eyes widened a fraction, and she stopped. Handle him? "What exactly do you have in mind?" she muttered, tilting her head to the side in question.

The corner of his mouth tugged to an unmistakable smirk. "You are not up for it." he reassured her.

But Kagome was feeling like not letting him slip from it now. "Nah, I don't think so." she said, looking at him curiously. "Dare me."

Sesshoumaru turned to look at her and the miko could literally feel her heart skip a beat. "Then I dare you." she breathed.

"Don't blame me, then." he said to her.

She smirked. "You cannot stay there with your back towards me while I bathe." Kagome tapped her chin with her index finger, thinking about it. "If you can't, you must stay three meters from me at all times when we travel." she made up.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "If this Sesshoumaru can do what the miko asks of him… the miko must kiss him."

Kagome's jaw slacked. "W-what?" she sputtered.

"Do not make this Sesshoumaru make it worse for you." he threatened.

Kagome huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine. I accept."

He turned his back at her, standing there in the morning air.

Kagome gritted her teeth. What should she do? What could she do? How to make him turn over and look at her? If she could make him do that, it'd be priceless to see him strain himself to keep away for the rest of the time.

Frowning, she realised he had somehow managed to turn the dare to his own benefit and to her humiliation. There was virtually nothing she'd be willing to do to make him turn over. She could come up with a few ways, but there was no way she'd be giving him the satisfaction of hearing her humiliate herself.

Huffing in frustration she glared at his back. She could always try throwing balls of miko power at his back, but then again she did not really want to hurt him either… And he'd probably dodge those easily with his back towards her too…

She started thinking about him. If he'd succeed and she'd fail, she'd have to kiss him? Was he under the impression she'd be disgusted to kiss him, therefore that as a "punishment", she'd be motivated to work for it to make him fail? But then again…

Kagome then smirked. It was just a kiss, right? She could kiss him like there was no tomorrow and he'd be stuck with just the one kiss.

She reached for her towel. She had soaked for long enough already. Wrapping the fluffy white towel around herself she rubbed her skin dry, all the while watching his back intently, to be sure he was not peeking or something. But then again if he would, she'd win, so that would be a good thing... maybe?

Shaking her head to herself she sighed and dressed up in a pair of dark tight stretch jeans and a white top. Her hair was still quite damp and she let it open to dry, running her fingers through her black stresses.

She walked over to him, stopping just behind his back. A smirk spread out on her lips. She reached out a hand to brush his silver white strands to the side and rose on her toes to breathe against his neck. She saw his skin shiver involuntarily. "Fine, I give up." she whispered by his ear – or at least as close to it as she could, he was quite tall after all.

He turned his head to look at her and she lifted her hand up against his cheek, pulling his head lower to give a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth. She pulled back as if nothing had happened and turned her back at him, starting to walk back towards the camp. "Two meters." she chimed at him from over her shoulder, a smirk grazing her lips.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	8. Back to The Future

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Glancing at the silent daiyoukai walking a few meters from her, the miko frowned.

It had been two more days since the morning he had taken her out to bathe. They had not really talked since. He had kept his distance from her, and she had been grateful. At nights her dreams were plagued by him and she felt an irresistible urge to touch him again. The ghost feeling of the chaste kiss kept bothering her, and she wanted to repeat it, feel again.

He had claimed her partly by accident, and partly because it would be a good way to keep demons from her skin. Demons sensing she belonged to the inuyoukai would keep away and the jewel would be safer with her.

They had travelled for two days with no real progress. Perhaps they were getting closer to Naraku, perhaps the hanyou would move again, noticing them after him, and they would have to start all over again. They were wasting their energy running after him.

"Couldn't we just draw him to us?" Kagome asked out loud, making her companions turn to look at her. The miko had a look of realisation on her face.

Inuyasha stopped to look at her with a surprised look on his face. "As in make him come after us?"

Kagome looked at the hanyou, starting to believe in her own theory. "He is going to need the other half of the jewel after all, or at least he will want to have it. He'll come looking for it, it's just a matter of time."

"But we do not have too much time." Sango put in, glancing at the monk by her side. Kagome bit her lip. She knew Miroku's Kazaana curse was getting worse by the days… Defeating Naraku was the only option he had to live. Kagome also knew Sango loved the monk and would do about anything to kill Naraku before it was too late.

"There had to be a way to make him come to us." Kagome said.

"A bait."

The miko turned to look at the demon who had spoken. She blinked her eyes, and then her eyebrows rose. "Oh, yes, that would be excellent. What do we use for a bait?"

The inuyoukai looked at her, and Kagome's stomach made a lurch. She pointed at herself, "Me?" she asked.

"No way!" Shippou rejected, jumping up on the miko's shoulder. "It's too dangerous!"

Kagome looked from Sesshoumaru to Inuyasha. It shocked her that Inuyasha was actually considering the option. But then again… he too would do anything to destroy Naraku. Kagome hung her head, her bangs covering her eyes, a sad smile appearing on her lips. "Me and my big mouth, huh?" she muttered.

"Kagome, you don't have to do it." Sango put in, stepping up to the miko, looking at her worriedly. She looked at the monk, then at the miko. "I cannot ask something like that from you."

Kagome shook her head. "No… That is the best plan so far, and besides…" she looked up at Sesshoumaru. "If he thinks it's alright, then why not go for it? I could die any day anyway…"

"We are not having you killed, baka!" Inuyasha growled at her.

Kagome looked at him, smiling a little at his antics. "Sure…" she said. "So, how do we bait him?" she asked, looking at her friends.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

It occurred to Kagome that night, when she was laying awake on her sleeping bag, gazing at the stars, how she really had no personal reason to go against Naraku.

She huffed softly. For years she had travelled after the villain, but for what? To see others avenge what ever pain the hanyou had caused them?

To gather back the Shikon shards that had somehow been passed to her when Kikyo had died. To make the jewel whole and go back living like she used to. Although, that was no longer quite possible - she had too many memories of youkais of the days by gone. And what then, when the jewel would be complete? She'd be kicked back to the time she belonged to, denied to ever come back to the past by the well?

She drew in a deep breath of clean air. Good bye to the nature and demons and welcome back the city and normal people. Somehow that felt ridiculous to her after everything she had experienced.

She'd have to say goodbye to Inuyasha, Shippou, Kirara and Sango, Miroku… and even Sesshoumaru. They'd be left behind to the past. The very thought unnerved her. How could she leave them to go back to living in the future?

Glancing at the demon kitsune sleeping cuddled up next to the fire neko, her gaze softened. They were so cute! A thought passed her mind, making her eyes widen a fraction. How long did demons lie anyway? She knew Inuyasha had been sealed to a tree for fifty years and being his older half brother, Sesshoumaru had to be at least over fifty years… The very thought made her shiver. But he did not look old at all! He looked like, someone in their twenties… It was so weird.

Shaking her head to herself she rolled her eyes, blinking her eyes at the stars. Such weird, weird times…

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"I want to go home."

"What?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, irritated. "Again? You cannot go now!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "It has been over a month, what do you think my mother is thinking? She is probably worried sick over me, thinking I must be dead or something because I am taking so long." She crossed her arms over her chest. "If you will not take me, Kirara will."

"Eh, Kagome…"

The miko turned to look at the slayer who was holding her fire neko up in her arms. Kagome smiled at the woman sheepishly. "Sorry, she's probably dead tired after all the travelling…" The cat meowed at her, as if agreeing.

Kagome took a breath. What options did she have? Then the thought hit her and she turned her eyes up to the white haired demon standing a couple of meters from her.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome was flying through the air, held in the secure grip of the tall demon. He was incredibly fast, she had to admit. It didn't take him but few hours to get to the well, although they had travelled quite far from the village of where the well was situated at.

He put her down on her feet on the meadow of the well. She looked up at him with appreciation. "Thank you." she thanked, starting to walk over to the well. She sat on the lid of it, swinging her feet on the inside. She saw him look at her questioningly, but she just smirked at him, jumping.

Looking up as the air passed by her she saw him look down the well, just before the blue flash of light blinded her, taking her to another time.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	9. How to hide a Daiyoukai

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"Tadaima!" Kagome called as she entered the house. Kicking off her shoes she took a deep breath of the air in the house. Ah! It was good to be home again.

"Kagome?" Mama Higurashi asked, coming from the kitchen, a surprised look on her face. "Kagome!" she then broke into a smile and came to hug her with hands still wet from washing the dishes.

"Hey, I'm alright." Kagome patted the woman on the back, smiling reassuringly. "Nothing bad has happened."

"I'm so glad to hear." The older woman sighed, pulling back to look at her daughter. "Seriously, you have to tell Inuyasha to bring you back more often, you are causing me heart attack you know…" the woman muttered, shaking her head.

"Mama, don't worry about me so much." the young woman said, pulling free from her mother's grip. "I came back for a couple of days."

"You have to leave so soon?" Mama Higurashi asked, drying her hands to her apron.

"We have a situation going on back there…" Kagome sighed, running a hand through her black strands. "I cannot keep them waiting for too long, things are finally getting to an end there."

The older Higurashi looked at her daughter with a question in her eyes. "So have you gathered the jewel, then? Does that mean you can come back?"

Kagome gulped, starting to feel like she was lying to her mothers face. "Not quite, but we are getting there. We have a new plan to destroy Naraku and complete the jewel. When the jewel is complete, I can return for good." What she did not say was that there'd be no coming back for her if she'd be killed during the process of trying to get the shards and destroy that certain person.

"I am sure Inuyasha will let nothing bad happen to you." Mama Higurashi reassured her daughter, smiling at her gently. Sometimes she did that, spoke like she knew what was going on in her daughters mind.

Kagome frowned ever so slightly, though she smiled, nodding. "Yeah, we can trust him." But the miko knew that in the end, Inuyasha would be looking forward to killing Naraku, no matter what the cost. They had come together as a group of friends but although she loved the white haired hanyou to some extend, and he knew he cared for her back, she was not naive. She knew he'd sacrifice their lives to get his vengeance. That was after all the reason why he was still alive and not dead alongside with his beloved Kikyou…

Kagome looked up, shaking herself back from her thoughts. This might be the last time she saw her family, or the era of the modern times. She should enjoy it while it lasted.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Back in the past times, a certain white haired demon was walking circles around a certain well. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes nailed to the empty black pit of the well. There was no sign of the miko, so he assumed the well was some kind of a portal. To where, he did not know.

Halting in his steps, realising he had stomped the grass surrounding the well, the daiyoukai gazed at the setting sun. It was useless. The miko had told him she'd take a couple of days. It seemed that he'd just have to wait for her to get back.

Resuming the anxious walking habit, the demon's expression turned to one of an irritated one. It was bothering him. Where was she?

What was she doing?

And most importantly; who was she with?

Narrowing his eyes the demon halted again. Great, he was getting jealous over her. It seemed that the mark was starting to bind them two together.

Narrowing his eyes further the demon gazed into the depths of the well. He could not know how badly the mark would affect them, but he was starting to fear it was not going to be one from the light end. She was a Shikon Miko. He was a DaiYoukai. Two strong beings from the different ends of the list. A part of the reason why he had marked her had been his wish to know something.

To know if they were compatible.

The union of them two had the possibilities of creating something strong, something that would be respected and feared by the others. He needed someone strong to stand by his side. Someone who was not afraid to stand up to him, and would fair by herself too. She had shown him her strength in the years she had watched her grow by Inuyasha's side. She had become a formidable opponent and she still continued to develop. Although a human, the Shikon, once completed, would make her virtually immortal. Like he was.

He thought back to the days of travelling with her after she had "kissed" him. It had taken a lot from him not to snatch her back and show her what a proper kiss was like. He was starting to think she was torturing him on purpose, just to see how much he could take. Was she wishing for his self restraint to snap?

Looking down at the well he rested his hand against the wooden framing of the wall. How long would he wait for her to return?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome was soaking in a bath tub upstairs of their house. She sighed contently, closing her eyes. Her mind was wandering back to the feudal era, thinking about the people there.

Opening her eyes she gazed in front of her without really seeing anything. Her gaze was unfocused.

"Sesshoumaru…" she muttered, her lips feeling as if they were moving on their own accord. The miko then snapped out of it, her eyes wide. What was doing? What was she thinking?!

"Aahhh…" she groaned helplessly, hitting her forehead with her palm. She shielded her eyes with her hand. She felt so silly…

How long until she'd feel the need to return just to see him? She was missing him already…

Blinking her eyes, her long black lashes brushing against her cheeks, she felt water dripping her hair down her skin. Her fingers rose up to rub the mark gently, absentmindedly.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

When the sun rose the next morning, Kagome didn't feel rested. She felt tired. He had been in her dreams the whole night, and she was exhausted. Waking up every couple of hours to look frantically around herself for a sign of him to realise he was 500 years away from her was enough to drive her crazy and keep her awake.

It had taken a lot of her not to march out of her room and down the well to tackle him to the grass to get her night's sleep. But then again she wondered if he'd let her sleep at all if she'd just do that. Shaking her head to her thoughts the miko forced herself to get out of her bed. The sun was up high and there was no use trying to sleep anymore.

After some fifteen minutes the miko stumbled downstairs and into the kitchen. She was yawning while rubbing her eyes, her hair pointing into every imaginable direction when she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Kagome." Mama Higurashi greeted her.

"Good morn-" Kagome stopped as if she had walked into a brick wall, her eyes snapping open wide. Her brown orbs met with those of gold colour and she felt panic surge inside of her. "What are you doing here?!"

"My, my, don't be so rude Kagome." her mother scolded her, smiling. "He said he came to see you."

"Sure…" The miko muttered, not being able to take her eyes off the person. It was unbelievable he was here, in her time. "How did you travel? I mean, you weren't supposed to be able to…"

He raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes passing from hers to look at her neck.

Her eyebrows rose as she got the hint. "Ah, I see…" so the mark that connected her to him made it possible for him to come to this time? Inuyasha was able to only because he had the prayer beads around his neck, therefore connecting him and her.

She then looked at him, the way he looked suddenly feeling terribly out of place. The markings on his face, the strange clothes and his incredibly long, not to mention white hair. She felt cold grip take a hold of her. If anyone saw him, she'd be in trouble.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Receiving a call from her friends –Yuka, Eri and Auymi – telling her they'd be coming over since she was finally at home again, Kagome realised she truly was in trouble.

"Where to hide a daiyoukai? Where?" Kagome muttered to herself while walking in circles.

As if it was not enough having a demon walking around in our home that was so interesting to him that he was totally engrossed to every little appliance and photograph – not to mention the TV – she'd have to put up with her friends asking her questions of where she'd been, how she'd been and most importantly, how was her boyfriend fairing.

Kagome glanced over at Sesshoumaru, who was focused on watching a game of volleyball on the telly. He was narrowing his eyes at the players, possibly wondering of their lack of clothing.

"Sesshoumaru, can you hide?" She called to him, and he looked up at her with a look that could have killed her. The miko gulped, smiling at the demon nervously.

"Eh, hehe…" she laughed vainly, looking at him with an apologizing look on her face. "Guess there is no way to make you leave either, huh?" The miko sighed deep, coming to her final decision. "Alright then, mister daring, you're in for it."

He cocked a questioning eyebrow at her but she just beckoned him to follow her upstairs.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"Try these on, they should fit you somewhat." Kagome said, handing him a pile of clothes.

The demon stared at the articles of clothes in a very strange way.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "We have to do this right, and I cannot have you walking around looking like-" she was about to say looking like that but corrected her words as in not to insult him too much, "-you, since it is modern times. This is how we dress, and if you do not like it, you should have considered thrice marking a modern woman!" Kagome snapped, walking out of the room. "Hair and make-up in five minutes!" She said to him in her parting words, closing the door of her room to let him change.

When he emerged from the room, Kagome's heart leaped to fly. Her breath choked to her throat, and for a moment she simply forgot how to breathe.

There was the daiyoukai standing, wearing black dress pants and a white button up shirt that was a little short at the sleeves and barely reaching to hug around his biceps. It was impossible to button the shirt closed, the shirt was just too small. "Is this the best you can offer?" The white haired demon asked her levelly on a dangerous tone.

Kagome licked her dry lips, trying to overcome her sudden infatuation towards him. "At the time… I am afraid so." Oh shit, she'd have to improvise. "C-come here." she asked him, reaching for his sleeves. She rolled them up to his elbows, taking a step back to evaluate her work. She smiled a little, yeah, much better.

"You are smoking hot." The words passed her lips before she could even comprehend having said them. He looked at her with a question in his eyes, glancing down at himself. Smoking?

Kagome blushed, shaking her head. "Ah, those markings, I almost forgot…" She went to the bathroom and a moment later came back with a little tube of something. "Lean down a little." She asked him to, and when he hesitantly did, she squeezed a little of the lotion from the tube on her fingertips, rising her fingers to trail over his markings.

She saw him shiver a little. "This will cover up your markings temporarily." She explained him, trying to remember to keep breathing. It was quite hard with him so close. She was aware that her eyes were starting to stray to his features, her mind starting to loose focus.

"Miko."

Kagome snapped out of it, freezing.

He pulled slowly back from her touch, straightening back up. She looked at his face, closing the tube. The markings were not visible anymore. "Oh, good. Now you look more like a human." She looked up into his eyes. Although he didn't really look anything much like a human… More like an angel or something… She thought.

"Try not to make them faint." She muttered to him, forcing herself to turn her eyes away from him.

He took a step closer to her, catching her in his spell again. Her eyes snapped up to his, and she was momentarily lost into his golden pools. "Remember not to drool." He said to her, leaning in to run his thumb from the corner of her lips over the soft red parts of her. She gasped silently, her eyes widening.

He pulled back, walking past her, his eyes staying on her as he passed her.

She turned swiftly to stare at his back, watching him casually walk down the stairs. His hands were tucked into his pockets, like he was used to wearing such clothes on a daily basis.

Kagome watched him disappear from her vision, her fingers coming up to touch her lips.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	10. Headache

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The door bell rang.

"Behave." She said to him, pointing at him with her index finger, giving him a stern look.

He just looked back at her in his aloof style, sitting casually on the sofa.

Kagome went to open the door, only to be tackled by her friends, squealing in happiness to see their friend again.

"Kagome! Finally you are at home, damn, do you know how unreachable you are nowadays!" Yuka ranted.

"Yeah, and so we couldn't waste a heartbeat!" Eri added, beaming at the miko.

"It's so good to see you, Kagome." Auymi smiled at her warmly, and Kagome smiled back at her.

"Yeah, it's good to see you guys once in a while." She admitted.

"What? Only once in a while? I don't know what drugs you are taking but that is simply no way to-" Eri stopped in half step inside the house, her eyes glued on something. Or rather someone.

Ayumi and Yuka followed their friend's gaze, both jerking as if they had just gotten an electric shock as they saw what their friend saw.

"K-k-k-Kagome?!" Yuka stuttered, "Who is he??!"

All the three were gaping at the demon sitting on the sofa, leaning back relaxed, his ah so perfect chest displayed naughtily, making a decent girl ready to faint.

Kagome had to mentally jump into a cold water spring to make her head clear. "Eh, this is-"

"Why, it isn't Inuyasha!" Yuka muttered, shocked.

"He's so much better looking." Eri muttered to the young woman, her eyes never leaving the god sitting in the living room.

"-no, he's-" Kagome tried again but was again cut off.

"-Ah! He cannot be the brother of the two timing boyfriend of yours!" Ayumi declared loudly, coming to the conclusion.

Sesshoumaru raised his golden eyes to meet the brown ones of the miko, who smiled back at him, bashed.

"To _m_y regret _I_ have to admit _I_ indeed _am_ the _half brother_ of _Inuaysha_." He spoke on his baritone voice, making the three girls startle at hearing his voice.

Oh god, he was avoiding the third persona. Kagome felt so proud of him, awed even.

Yuka and Eri were staring at him curiously. Then all the three young women turned to look at Kagome, a questioning look clear on their faces.

Kagome grinned at them a little ashamedly, ushering them three fully in to close the door.

"Don't tell me you have broken up." Eri started.

"And are with _him_ now??" Yuka continued.

"Kagome, is that true?" Ayumi asked.

They all were speaking in hushed tones, thinking the god sitting there some meters away couldn't hear them, but only Kagome knew how wrong they were.

"Err…" She stuttered, trying to find the words. "Well, I…"

"Kagome my _darling_, won't you introduce your friends to me?" They heard the daiyoukai ask from his place still sitting on the sofa.

Kagome's eyes snapped to stare at him in horror.

Her three friends were more than happy to rush over to him to introduce themselves. Kagome was left standing at the door, mostly forgotten as the three human women were swoon over by the demon. His eyes sifted to hers for a slight moment, giving her a challenging look.

Kagome fisted her fists, setting her jaw. There was no way she was going to be pushed around in _her_ house, in _her_ time, by the damn inuyoukai. No way!

Kagome marched over to them, making her friends move from her way. She sat down on his lap, her back facing his chest. "Ah, I'd be more than happy to my _love_, but it seems that they went ahead and spared me the trouble." She smirked up at him sweetly from over her shoulder.

There he'd have a hard time standing her. There were many ways to torture a daiyoukai, this was one of them.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The visit of her friends basically went along with them gaping at the demon, the demon trying to keep his cool and stoic face, Kagome trying to tone her bristling cheerfulness down, all the while coming up with new ways to test his temper. Their sarcasm was subtle and the other just had to invent a new one to insult the other.

When a couple of hours later the miko's childhood friends had to leave, she was more than happy to stand up from his lap, walk her friends to the great stairs rising up to the shrine. Or rather, going down to the street.

"It was good to see you guys." Kagome sighed, smiling.

Ayumi turned to look at her, a gentle smile about her face. "Kagome…" She started, making the said woman focus her attention. "You should stick to him."

Eri and Yuka looked at their friend, smirkin. "Yeah, he's a catch." Yuka said, smiling widely.

"Hmn!" Eri agreed. "Much better than that two timer! And did you see how he looked at you?"

Kagome blinked her eyes. "How he looked at me?"

All three let out a loud breath, shaking their heads.

Yuka stepped forth to grip the miko's upper arms, looking at her directly. "He likes you."

Kagome felt laughter rise inside of her. She started chuckling.

Her friends looked at her strangely.

"Kagome." Eri muttered, pursing her lips while frowning. "We are serious!"

"Of course…. of course." Kagome waved it away, trying to control her fit. "It's just that…" She shook her head, chuckling.

"You like him too, don't you?" Ayumi asked silently.

Kagome stopped, catching her breath. She closed her eyes for a moment. "How could I not?" She asked, her tone of voice suddenly turning a little sorrowful.

"Kagome…" Eri asked, sensing the sudden change of mood.

"If he's forcing you to something I swear-" Yuka started threateningly.

That made Kagome grin. "Hmn, no, of course he isn't." Except for that he did mark her and the mark did affect her. She looked up at her friends. "He's really something, huh?"

The three smiled at her back. "Give it a go." Eri said.

"And if he breaks your heart like that two timer did…" Yuka continued. "You just know there are many boyfriends in this world for you to choose from."

"Yeah, like Hojo." Eri pinpointed with a smirk.

Kagome shivered. "Err…" She then frowned. "How is he, nowadays?"

"He's doing good, studying to be a doctor." Ayumi told.

"A doctor…" Kagome mused. She then huffed softly. A perfect occupation for the guy.

"And I heard he is doing good, still hung up over you, though." Yuka added.

"Yeah, he always asks how you are doing when he has the change." Eri muttered.

"He'll make a good doctor." Kagome simply said. "But I think you have to go now, I have a bone to pick with that bastard over there." The miko slanted her eyes, turning swiftly to catch the said demon looking towards them from through the living room window.

The three giggled, waving their goodbyes. "Don't hurt him too bad!" Eri turned to yell up at her when they were almost at the end of stairs.

Kagome waved at her friend, turning to walk back to the house.

"Who is Hojo?" The demon asked as soon as she had closed the door, raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Eh, no one?" Kagome said, not looking at him. Damn, did he just have to eavesdrop on everything they talked about? She walked over to the sofa, plopping down on the soft cushions. She leaned her head back, running her hands through her hair.

The white haired demon looked at her, watching her sigh. He walked over to her and then sat down on the sofa next to her.

She didn't even look at him. She had shielded her eyes with her hand, breathing slowly. "My head is hurting…" she muttered to him, rubbing her temples with her fingertips in slow circles. It felt like she was going to have a migraine… Great.

She felt a clawed hand reach for her wrist. She opened her eyes to look at him, but he just tugged her towards him by her wrist. He lifted her easily up onto his lap, her face facing his.

She blinked her widened eyes at him, but he just ignored her surprise, pulling her to rest her head against his shoulder. Kagome, a little hesitantly, leaned her head against his shoulder, allowing her back muscles to relax. His intoxicating scent invaded her senses and she took a sharp intake of breath in a reflex.

She felt his hand rub slowly up and down her back, the other hand running underneath her hair on her neck. She felt his fingers ease off the tension on her scalp.

Closing her eyes with a contented sigh she relaxed even more, letting her defences down. It felt incredible. He knew just where to touch her.

But it did not take all too long for the touching to change. His hand on her back started discreetly moving up and down her side, making her shiver. She opened her eyes, focusing on the feel of his hand. It took everything she had to keep herself still when his hand slipped underneath her shirt, moving up her side. Her breath caught on her throat.

"The headache?" He asked, his breathing a little irregular.

"Gone." She smiled against the side of his neck.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	11. Second Thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome raked her fingers along his scalp, his silky stresses flowing from between her fingers. She heard his slightly increased breathing and felt his breath on her neck in huffs. She groaned ever so silently, almost hoping he couldn't hear her. But of course he did, with his master hearing and all.

His hand that had snaked its way beneath her blouse crept along her skin, headed upwards. Kagome's breathing caught and she gasped silently, her hand tensing on his shoulder. What was he up to?

"You still owe me one…" She heard him mutter, the hand sliding downwards, and she could breathe again. His other hand moved to her neck, underneath her locks.

She pulled slightly back to look at him. "Owe you?" she asked her voice a little breathless.

He gazed at her lips coolly, his hand underneath her blouse never ceasing to move. "You know what I mean." He muttered, looking up into her eyes.

Kagome's lips parted as she thought about it, then her slightly confused expression turned into a little smirk. "Oh… I see." She said, raising her eyebrows. "This is what you mean?" She asked, leaning in to give a little peck by the corner of his mouth. He tried to turn so that she would have met his lips instead but she quickly pulled back before he could.

She saw him glare at her in a moment of disappointment but she then leaned back in closer, just mere inches from his face. "You know you are too inpatient for your own good…" She muttered to him, gazing at his lips.

"And you, miko, are a tease." He answered, leaning backwards against the back rest of the sofa.

She looked at him in surprise, blinking. He pulled his hands from her and crossed them behind his head, looking away from her as if he was disinterested.

Kagome, still sitting in his lap, was starting to seethe silently. His sudden show of disinterest was really upsetting her. Unbeknownst to her, he was igniting the desired responses from her while she was not fully aware of it. All she was focused on was how close she had been to have him follow her lead – before he had displayed his own mind, that is. She frowned, standing up from his lap. Fine, if that was how it was.

He looked up at her as she stood up, glancing at her. His golden eyes trailed down her body before he turned to look away again.

Kagome controlled her irritation, turned her back at him and walked off to her room. Hah, what ever! It was not like she would have wanted to kiss him... or anything like that.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The dog demon was sleeping downstairs on the sofa. He was lying there quietly, his eyes open and gazing at nothing in particular. The house was dark and night had fallen. He could hear faint snoring from somewhere upstairs, perhaps it was the miko's brother. Hearing the sound of footsteps he lifted his head slightly, turning to look to the direction of the stairs.

Kagome walked down them, looking up at him once she was halfway down them. She however stopped at the end, sitting down on the steps.

He looked at the woman for a moment and then turned back.

Kagome stared at him, a battle going on inside her head. She had laid in bed for almost three hours now with no sleep, her thoughts constantly on the inuyoukai. Wrapping her arms around her knees she lowered her chin upon her knees, lowering her eyes towards the floor. She sat there for some time, listening to hear him breathe, or move. She didn't hear.

"How long do you intend on sitting there?" She heard him ask aloud. "A human like you should be asleep."

"It is just that I cannot sleep." She muttered back at him, frowning a little in irritation. It was because of him that she couldn't, because of the mark bothering her. She heard him uncharacteristically sigh. Looking up, she saw him beckon her to him. Resisting for a couple of seconds she then rose up and walked over to him. Who was she trying to fool? She knew herself she couldn't keep away from him for long…

He moved a little, making room for her. She sat down on the edge of the sofa and he pulled her down to lie next to him, against him. He enveloped her on a blanket, and she, a little hesitantly, laid her head upon his chest. One of his strong arms came to wrap around her, securing her.

The miko closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing. She could feel the slight moving of his chest as he breathed, and the warmth that radiated from his. Her eyelids became heavy and her eyes slid shut, her hand coming up to take a hold of his shirt, to ensure he truly was there and wouldn't leave her alone. She drifted off to sleep, finally, feeling secure in his arms.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The oncoming morning reality hit her like a boxing glove against her face. She woke up with a start, looking around herself, wondering where she was. Realising she was somehow upstairs, in her bed, although she could swear she had not fallen asleep there, she he back down on the bed, letting out a frustrated sigh.

She couldn't stay in the future for much longer. She was growing inpatient and realising how fast the infatuation between her and Sesshoumaru was developing, she could not risk another day. They would have to act fast now, before it would be too late. The very idea of ending the hunt for the shards that had been ongoing for some years now, was unsettling. But in the same time she felt great relief – it would be over. No more rushing around the ancient lands in search of gleaming little things, no more killing demons.

No more Inuyasha, no more Sesshoumaru?

She felt a strange bang in her heart, and she frowned. She would have to leave all her friends back when she'd be forced to return to the future, right? That wouldn't be easy to handle...

She heard her room door open and saw the white haired demon in the doorway. "Your mother wouldn't have liked to see us together." He said to her matte of-factly, and she understood that was then why he had carried her back to her room.

"So very... thoughtful of you." She muttered back.

"Hn." He muttered.

"We'll return in an hour, just let me dress first." She said, slowly getting up from the bed, going to her closet to search for her clothes.

"Miko, are you sure?" He asked her, making her turn to him and smile a little. She nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I cannot bare to waste any more time. Now, get out of here!" She ushered, slightly playful tone to her voice.

She watched him close the door and picked out a pair of stretch jeans and a blue shirt. She only lived once, so why not live to the fullest every moment?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Later that day she and Sesshoumaru were strolling over the fields, walking the last kilometres to where Inuyasha and the others were camping at. They were discussing the strategy and somehow it felt natural to talk with. Although she did most of the talking. She stopped at the hill top, gazing at the scenery. It was very sunny a day and the grass was lush green, swaying around in the gentle breeze. It was one of the finest weather she had seen. One that she liked the most.

She looked up at the sun, feeling him stop by her. "I am starting to think we can do this." She said to him.

"And before you were afraid." It was said more of matter of factly, and it caught her by surprise.

She looked up at him, giving him a baffled smile. "Hmn. But now I am getting eager to actually have this journey to end."

He gazed up at the few white clouds high up in the sky.

"And with you in our team," she continued, "we have good chances at winning."

He sifted his eyes to look at her.

She smiled at him gently. "Let's make the most of the days."

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

They had their plan together by the end of the day. While Kagome and Sesshoumaru had been gone, the rest of the group had been tracking Naraku down, and they were now closer than they had been in months. This was their chance.

That night Kagome spent cuddled up against the daiyoukai, not caring for the widened eyes of her team mates. It felt reassuring to have him so close. The net day would be tough, one of the toughest she had yet to confront.

In the said morning Kagome woke up early. She woke up to the singing of the birds around them in the forest, and to the first rays of sun peeking out from the horizon. She turned to look up at the demon she was entwined against. He was dazing, looking off into nothingness.

She slowly moved to lift her hand against his cheek. He blinked and brought his eyes to her, focusing. She smiled absent-mindedly, gulping and licking her lips. She rose up on her knees and lifted her other hand to his shoulder. He stayed on his place, looking at her, his eyes trailing over her features. She slowly leaned against him, her eyes straying from his lips to his eyes and back.

Kagome heard a ruffle from somewhere behind her as Inuyasha turned in his sleep. She froze, snapping into the reality. What had she been about to do? She blinked her eyes, looking back at the demon. She then slowly pulled back, watching as his eyes flickered. She turned to look from over her shoulder at Inuyasha, who was hugging Tetsusaiga, muttering something while asleep.

Kagome looked back at Sesshoumaru, who was now gazing at the skies. Was this what she wanted?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	12. What they want

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Author's Note: smut warning, all dear readers :) It's a major explicit lemon so if you feel uncomfortable, just skip this chapter.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Last time:

She slowly moved to lift her hand against his cheek. He blinked and brought his eyes to her, focusing. She smiled absent-mindedly, gulping and licking her lips. She rose up on her knees and lifted her other hand to his shoulder. He stayed on his place, looking at her, his eyes trailing over her features. She slowly leaned against him, her eyes straying from his lips to his eyes and back.

Was this what she wanted?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The miko pulled back from his, just short of kissing his lips. The daiyoukai held back a frustrated sigh, watching the miko look over at Inuyasha, who was still asleep. The daiyoukai glanced up at the sky. It was still quite early in the morning... The others would be sleeping for some time still if they weren't bothered by anything...

He brought his eyes back down to see the miko staring at him timidly. His eyes caught her moistening her lips with her tongue, before the pink appendage slipped back into her mouth. He didn't know if she did that on purpose but he doubted she had. He let his eyes roam over her face, stopping to stare intently at her lips and trace burning hot streaks down her jaw. She shifted a little on his lap, a blush forming on her pale cheeks.

He lifted a hand to trace up her leg and relished the shudder she gave, her spine straightening up joint by joint as she arched, letting out a little breathy gasp. It seemed that the mark was starting to affect her increasingly... This could be interesting.

Sesshoumaru leaned in past her head to touch his lips on the said mark. She let out a strained high pitch yelp, her hands fisting into his clothes at his broad shoulders. Although the he had kept the touch minimal, it had aroused such a response from her. He smirked wickedly. Ah, what wonders could he do to her...

Kagome gasped when she felt his lips seal around the mark. Her skin was tingling and burning underneath the smooth and warm touch of his lips. The hand on her thigh was trailing languid circles against the creamy skin left exposed as she was wearing her skirt again.

"Ah!" She gasped, trembling when he suckled at the mark, sending a flash of white searing pleasure down to her core. She sifted in his lap again, her breathing increasing by the second. Just when she was sure she couldn't get any more tingly and hot, his other hand joined the play, brushing over her behind to rise up her back. Her breath caught in her throat, and she needed to breath a couple of times deep, fast, to recover. His fingers brushed against her side, and she could feel the tips of his claws drag the material of her shirt upwards.

Damn it! Not here! The miko glanced around herself, then made her decision. She pulled his hands away from her skin with her smaller ones, looking into his eyes determinedly, not allowing him to resist her now. His eyes gave her a look that was a little angered as it was disappointed. She quickly rose from his lap and on shaky legs started to walk off, past him, into the forest surrounding their camp.

She looked over her shoulder at him, and made a beckoning move with her hand. She saw him rise his eyebrow in a little surprise mingled question. She turned to look ahead of herself, increasing her speed. Her heart was speeding in her chest and she knew she should try and get as far away from the camp as she just possibly could.

Walking faster till she sprung into a slowed down run, Kagome made her way further into the woods. She couldn't hear anything from behind her but the vague feeling of someone trailing after her made her want to scream and run for her life. It was exhilarating to say the least, and she almost flew past the trees and jumped over the roots trying to trip her. She didn't stop until she was sure she had travelled at least a kilometre or two from the camp.

Finally halting to rest against a tree trunk she panted for breath, a sheer layer of sweat covering her skin. She brushed a strand of matted hair from her face, looking around herself, searching with her eyes for him. She rested her hands against her knees and breathed for air, blinking and frowning slightly. Where was he?

A movement from the corner of her eye alerted her to a presence and she whipped her head to the direction to watch a silver haired youkai creep to the light from the shadows of the surrounding trees. She watched him move silently, her belly constricting and she felt her cheeks warm in what she guessed was a blush red as a fire truck. Oh, this was so dirty! The way that he moved... it should be illegal.

"That's not fair." She pouted, smirking at him a little whilst still trying to regain her breath. Her blood was topped with adrenaline, making her senses heightened. She found it extremely fascinating to watch him, sense him in a heightened level. What would his touch feel like? Kagome caught herself, mentally shaking her head.

He walked over to her slowly, like a predator circling their prey that could spring away at any given second. Kagome got a sinking feeling in her guts that try as she might there would be no running from him, he was way too fast for a ningen like her. She was worn from the little sprint she had made but he looked as good as ever.

His golden eyes swept over her form, tracing her features with appreciation, with such an intensity that made her want to groan out loud. She watched him creep over to her, and she straightened against the tree trunk, feeling like a trapped animal. But it was not a bad thing.

He came close up to her, leaning towards her, placing his hands against the tree on either side of her. She looked up into his eyes challengingly.

His eyes kept stripping her with their gaze and as she watched him, she started to feel what she had now was not enough. Lifting her chin up she leaned off the tree and tip toed so that she was hovering just centimetres from touching his lips with hers. She stayed there, inching closer till she finally – a little surprise to her – kissed him as he did not move back at all. It was just a chaste kiss, lasting for the two seconds it took her to realise she had kissed him before she pulled back. His eyelids were hooding his golden gaze and he was almost frozen on his place, like a statue.

Kagome unconsciously licked her lips and leaned back to steal another kiss. He wanted her, after all? And he hadn't protested so far... And, he was the one who had marked her in the first place. If he didn't like her that much, then too bad, he'd have to speak out his mind.

But Kagome wouldn't need to worry about him liking her. He was doing his best not to get overly excited and crush her with his inhumane strength. Slowly though, as she kept kissing him timidly and the kisses started to turn more confident, he let his steely control slip.

Kagome let out a little surprised mumble against his mouth as he suddenly pressed her against the tree trunk with his body, kissing her mouth fervently. She held back, trying to adjust to this new way and tempo. His tongue darted out to drag slowly along her lower lip which he then sucked into his mouth, nibbling at it with his sharp fangs. Kagome let out a pleased sigh, her eyes drifting shut as she shivered in anticipation. It felt so good...

He continued his little attack of her mouth. She felt his wordless plea for her to open her mouth as he nudged her and before she even consciously realised what she was doing, she was complying. His tongue crept past her lips and teeth, touching hers and earning him a surprised gasp as she tried to pull herself from him. But he was not going to let her get away. His hand came up to support her head and keep her mouth pressed to hers. His tongue probed and examined her hot cavern thoroughly, pulling back only for a moment to let her catch her breath.

Kagome was starting to feel aflame from head to toe. She could feel something wet moistening the spot between her legs and she tried to close her thighs, blushing further at the thought of him finding out what he was actually doing to her. But although he was distracted by their kissing he somehow realised to move his knee between her slightly spread legs to keep them open as he noted her trying to close them.

Kagome let out a quiet moan when she felt his leg rub against her thigh, and she arched her back, pushing her body against his as he moved even closed to completely pin her against the tree and himself. She felt his hard muscles underneath his clothes against her body and let out another tiny moan.

"What was that?" He asked her huskily, pulling back enough to kiss down her jawline to her neck. Kagome let out a breathless moan, encouraged by his ministrations. His hands moved to her hips, holding her firmly. Kagome closed her eyes, turning her head to the side to give him more room to work his magic.

His lips left tingling hot skin in their wake.

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, panting for breath. She couldn't help the eager groan that passed her lips when his large hand made his way underneath her shirt. She arched and shuddered when his hand trailed upwards, inch by inch, teasing her. "Oh please..." She let out.

He paused his nibbling of her neck. "Please?" He asked her, seemingly wanting her to be more specific.

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment in mortification, but her eyes snapped open when his knee pressed itself further between her legs and his mouth teased a sensitive soft spot right under her ear. "Oh please!" she begged, moaning out loud. "Sesshoumaru." she whispered his name.

His hand underneath her shirt crept upwards her side till it was almost touching the underside of her bra clad breast. His thumb brushed over the skin there where the bra started before dipping down over her stomach. Her belly constricted underneath his touch, and she let out a whine, his hand dropping down to her thigh.

Kagome tried to gather her wits but somehow he was not making such a thing easy for her. "Damn you..." she cursed him, trying to slow down her erratic breathing. Somehow he had managed to get her all flustered and breathless. There was a molten pool deep down her insides, burning sinfully, urging her to do something to lessen the ache. But Kagome knew that in trying to lessen the ache, she would increase it deeply. But that wouldn't actually feel all that bad... quite the opposite... And she found herself yearning for him.

She tangled her fingers into his silver locks and pulled him from her skin, crushing her lips against his to taste him again. He answered to the kiss eagerly, pressing her against the tree with his body, rubbing against her as he did. Kagome moaned against his mouth, her tongue lifting up to battle with his. She was starting to get the hang of things.

His hands both moved underneath her shirt, dragging up and down her sides. It felt so good. His claws would now and then scrape against her fair skin, not enough to leave a mark but enough to send shivers down her spine to add to the molten pool of pleasure that was gradually increasing inside of her. He was now pressed against her and she didn't have hard time imagining what had to be under those layers of clothing of his. Her hands untangled themselves form his strands and moved down to his yellow and blue obi, tugging it open.

She didn't note him minding what she had done and she drew her courage from the fact that perhaps he was liking this as much as she was. Her hands parted the layers of his white haori and then, finally, came to contact with his skin. An image of him in the white button up shirt back at her home flashed in her mind and made her gasp and then moan in appreciation. Her hands came into contact with solid hard muscle underneath surprisingly soft smooth skin. She wondered at the warmness of his skin, her hands feeling every dip and rise of his chest and stomach as if to memorise it.

"Like what you feel?" He asked her, pulling back from the kiss to let her breathe. She pulled air into her lungs, her chocolate brown eyes hooded. "Mmm..." she agreed, in a moment of boldness. Her hands travelled all the way up to his shoulders and shrugged his haori off with his help. Her hooded and dilated eyes swept over his naked upper body and she fixed her eyes on his, bringing out the tip of her tongue to sensually run it over her upper lip, having his full attention. There was an intense heated look in her eyes, almost as predatory as his.

"You're one dirty miko..." he muttered to her, moving his knee against her core, making her breath catch as she threw her head back and hissed a breath from between her teeth.

"And you are uncharacteristically talkative..." she practically panted.

His lips pulled to a smirk and his hand moved up her thigh, creeping underneath her green skirt. "But you just can't help but to be aroused by my voice..." he breathed now by her ear.

Kagome's lips parted to a drawn out moan as she heard him talk like that. She chuckled a little, making him pull back and rise an eyebrow at her. "If you have the time to laugh, then I am not keeping you busy enough." And with that his hands moved to grab her thighs and lifted her up so that her legs were off the ground. She yelped in surprise and instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips to keep herself steadied. But that move only made her press him against herself harder and she let out an erratic, shaky moan as she realised that.

"I can tell that you really like what you feel." he muttered by her ear, lowering his head down to suckle the place where he had marked her on the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

"D-didn't I tell you that – Ohm..! already." she had hard time forming coherent speech with him doing what he did.

She felt his hips thrust against hers and that finally drew every last bit of reluctance she might have had, from her mind. "Oh kami... just..." her breath caught again when she felt his finger hook around the panties at her hip bone. "...just do what you want!" she gave in, arching against him and letting out a gasp as his mouth travelled down between her breasts. At the moment she didn't care. She didn't care if he was the brother of her first love, nor did she have the inspiration to feel anything but the lust that she was feeling for the white haired demon now. Claiming mark or not, how could she ever have ignored this demon before her and favour other males; Sesshoumaru was a kami in his own right... Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers messing themselves into his silver strands.

"Really now?" he asked her in his baritone voice. "Anything I want?" he stopped between her soft mounds, his warm breath on her skin contrasting with the brisk morning air, making her shiver.

"Yes!" she affirmed, her hands going down to his neck, but he pulled them back with his and tugged the hem of her shirt up over her head, pulling the shirt from her and throwing it off carelessly to the ground. His hands took both of hers and pinned them up above her head. His mouth pressed a kiss between her breasts, then moved to the left, making her shudder and stifle a scream in her throat.

"Oh kami!" she groaned, her eyes closing shut and she writhed under his touches. He moved one hand to grasp both of her wrists while the now free hand moved down and behind her arched back, fumbling with her bra. He then unclasped the bra, and Kagome could feel the constricting material around her loosen, the straps over her shoulders the only thing that kept it from falling completely.

"How'd you learn to do that?" she asked him, her surprise shining through.

She felt him smirk against her now fully exposed flesh. "That... tv-thing of yours..." he muttered back, his mouth tracing patterns around her pink nipple. Kagome was just about to open her mouth to ask him what exactly had he watched from the box but all coherent thoughts left her head when his fingers brushed over her centre, the only thing keeping them from touching her flesh the frail material of her panties. Kagome shivered and gasped when his mouth moved to suck on her breast. She could feel herself grow wetter and get ever more flustered and she nearly screamed out when his fingers mover underneath her panties, brushing over her sex.

"You're so wet..." he groaned out, moving from one breast to another.

Kagome panted, muttering something incoherent in a reply that came out as another moan she he decided the panties had to go. His finger slid along her slit, down, and Kagome thought she'd lost it. She pulled her hands free from his grasp, which he loosened for her. She brought her hands down to his muscular shoulders, holding onto him to keep herself anchored as he slid a finger inside of her. She let out a drawn out moan, which he silenced with his mouth against hers. Their tongues engaged in a small battle in which he let her dominate her for the mere second she had as she managed to surprise him when slipping her tongue past his, before he regained control.

"Spoil sport." She panted as she pulled back to gasp for breath, her lungs burning from the lack of air.

He answered her by moving his thumb over her clit tortuously while curling his finger inside of her. Kagome's eyes lost focus and she arched against him, her heartbeat quickening. "Oh... damn..." she mumbled, her skin sweaty against his and her centre practically dripping all over his fingers. It wasn't fair he had this much control over her! But as he rubbed her clit again and tested how two fingers fit inside of her, she back in the line of letting him do what he did well.

He pushed his body closer to her, pressing her flat against the tree trunk. Thing were starting get really heated between them and he had to resist the overbearing urge to hump her. His pants were getting quite uncomfortable and lust was starting to cloud his vision and way of thinking. He relished the little screams and moans she made for him in the throes of pleasure as he continued pumping his fingers into her, increasing the speed.

"Oh... Ah! Please, please." She kept chanting, her eyes refusing to stay open although she tried to look at him. The delicious ache inside of her had flared to a slow burn that had lighted her up from head to toe, threatening to overcome her.

She felt him pull his fingers back from inside of her and she groaned pitifully at the loss. She raised her glaring eyes up at him, about to snap at him for leaving her off like that when she saw him fix her with a firm stare, lifting his soaked hand to his mouth. He took a deep sniff at her essence and made a show of it by closing his eyes as if to savour the scent. His lips parted and he dipped a finger into his mouth, sucking at it. Kagome felt her belly constrict pleasurably and was helpless to just watch him as he was pinning her with his body. He licked the rest of his fingers with his agile tongue that made her wonder what kind of other things that tongue could be used for...

The miko watched the little show from underneath hooded lids, and she could bet that even if Naraku would appear now, she wouldn't mind. She'd just tell him to get the hell out of here and leave her be with her... Yes, who was he to her? A mate? A lover?

"You look awfully in thought, miko." He murmured again, tracing her lower lip with a damp finger. She shivered a little at his touch, her pink lips so sensitive that even a breeze of wind against them would make her gasp at the sensation.

"Hmn?" she wondered, lifting her hands from his shoulders to his neck, feeling his skin shiver at her touch. He felt so warm... She leaned closer to him till her mouth was just touching the lobe of his pointed ear. "Are you going to continue where you left off? Or will I be forced to do that myself?" She parted her lips and bit him lightly. He groaned, thrusting against her heated centre involuntarily.

"We... cannot have that, can we?" He managed, immediately running his hand down her bare side, reigniting the fire inside of her with the simple touch.

Kagome realised how she loved seeing him tremble, knowing it was she who caused him to. And she knew she loved the way he was making her feel. Her mind that had somewhat come down from the high he had worked her on, wondered about the upcoming fight. It could very well be her last.

"Sesshoumaru." she breathed, and his hand stopped, just short from her core. He raised his questioning eyes to hers.

She gave him a little smile. "Go all the way." she breathed, her heart giving out a couple of extra beats. She couldn't quite belief she had just said that, yet a part of her was jumping around in joy, thinking: finally!

He actually blinked his eyes, taking a couple of seconds as wheels turned in his head. He then straightened himself up a little, looking down into her eyes with his now serious golden ones. She kept returning his gaze and he did not speak to question her judgement. "Hn." was all she got, combined with a dashing smirk of his. Her eyes widened at the sudden burst of handsomeness added to his features by that smirk that only on him could be considered as a smile. He looked... elated?

It was Kagome's time to blink. "You start worrying me..." she spoke, her voice a little exhausted from all the panting and moaning she had done already. If one thing was sure, it was that when he would smirk, something was going to go really wrong... Or perhaps in this case-

"Ohm!" Kagome nearly screamed, biting to her lip to muffle the sound as he pushed inside of her. She arched against him, her hands gripping tightly onto his shoulders and her legs wrapping tighter around his hips. She threw her head back, her eyes wide open. She could feel him inside of her, actually feel, every inch of him, every vein... "Oh..." she drew in a shaky breath, feeling fuller than she had ever felt before. He was filling her so completely, stretching her sinfully.

He let out a long groan as well, leaning against her and dipping his head to the joint of her shoulder and neck, giving a kiss to the mark he had placed on her not too long ago.

"Oh, please, move..." she begged him, squirming on her place, starting to get impatient as it felt like if he didn't move soon, she might just burst from the sheer feeling of being so filled.

He pulled out of her tortuously slowly, their panting breaths mixing with small groans and moans. When he was almost entirely out of her, he slid back in, earning himself a shaky moan from her. He moved back out, then in again, increasing his speed every time he did. She was writhing, shaking and moaning, chanting his name.

Kagome could feel herself coming close, all too close, until she was sent over the edge with no means to stop herself, with no means to go back. Her inner muscles started milking his impressive length and he was forced to slow down. She felt his muscles flex underneath her fingertips as he moved, almost painfully hard and unyielding in her hot cavern. She opened her eyes that she had closed, feeling disoriented and wonderful. She looked at his face and her core sent a wave of heat through her at seeing his expression. It was anything but calm and collected.

"Oh Sesshoumaru..!" She crashed her lips against his, her tongue darting out to mingle with his. She felt his claws scare against her thigh, the tips of his claws digging into her skin lightly and from the look of things she anticipated her was coming close as well. She wanted to make him come.

Using a trick she had practised to learn, she clenched her inner muscles around his length. She heard the shard intake of his breath and did it again, using as much strength as she had left to use at the moment, his warm hardness inside of her twitching as she heard a growl build up in the back of his throat. She mustered up enough willpower to clench her muscles one last time and finally it send him railing over the edge.

Kagome yelped when she felt sharp fangs dig onto the space between her and shoulder. She felt him pulse inside of her, something warm and sticky coating her passage. He raised one hand over her head to brace himself against the tree as he momentarily seemed to go powerless. Kagome blinked her eyes lazily. She felt... amazing. She hadn't felt this good or relaxed since kami knows when. All the stress from the journey they were making and the events of the past few weeks ebbed away, leaving her floating in the afterglow.

Warm sun rays tickled her face, warming her skin and slowly driving the brisk morning air away. The miko opened her eyes to look at the demon who had just claimed her with her permission and her heart fluttered. The sun had risen just above the tree line and was positioned behind him so that the light illuminated his hair, making it glow unearthly. She stared at his handsomeness, wordless. His intense golden eyes gleamed in rich colour, like two gems fixing their focus on her with something she couldn't put into words but rather in a warm and content feeling.

How come she had wasted this long to find him?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Author's Note: Now I want some feedback. Good, bad? Liked, loved?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	13. A twist of fate

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

When, after a quick bath in a hot spring Sesshoumaru had managed to find, they walked back to the camp, they found a certain hanyou pacing around the clearing, looking pissed. Miroku and Sango were sitting around the remains of the fire with Shippou and Kirara peeking from Sango's lap, looking scared.

Once Inuyasha turned to glare at them, Kagome felt the colour run from her face. He looked angry. In fact his eyes were rimming with red, and his hands were pulled into tight fists.

"You..." he spat and started growling threateningly, a sound that made the blood freeze in the miko's veins. Everyone tensed, and Kagome felt Sesshoumaru instinctively pull her a little closer, back away from the hanyou across from them.

"Inuyasha, what is wrong?" Kagome asked, her voice rising an octave as she spoke, a confused frown marring her brow. What was this about? He couldn't be this angry to them, could he?

"What, you ask me!" He yelled out suddenly, the bridge of his nose wrinkling in his hate. "You fucking bitch!"

Kagome was taken aback. He had heard them? Or then he just... knew. But still... "Inuyasha-" she started but was cut off when Sesshoumaru shoved her behind his back as the hanyou charged. He clashed with Sesshoumaru who threw his younger sibling off across the clearing so that he collided hard with a tree, snapping the poor thing.

Kagome's eyes had widened in horror and she looked with mixed thoughts as the hanyou crawled up, readying himself for another attack. "Inuyasha sit!" She screamed out in a shrill voice. The effect was immediate. The white haired hanyou splashed against the ground, his face pulled into the dirt. Everyone watched as the hanyou twitched in his place, kept in place by the submission beads around his neck. Kagome was frightened how he resembled so much the person he had been she had met him for the first time. When he had tried to kill her. When he had thought her to be Kikyou.

"Save that!" She yelled out at him, something inside of her breaking. She saw Sesshoumaru turn his head to look at her. His eyes were hardened now, and he was tensed, having placed himself protectively between her and the hanyou. Kagome however went past him and halfway towards the hanyou.

"You freaking idiot!" She cursed him, wanting so badly to stomp her foot, angry tears starting to fall down her cheeks. "How can you start blaming me? How can you!" She started sobbing. Inuyasha slowly lifted his head so that he was able to look up at her, still kept in the ground by the necklace.

"After all this time!" She screamed at him, shaking her head. "You have forever been after Kikyou, you made that clear to me!" She sobbed, not caring to hide her tears and her turmoil. Not that she could have done that easily, anyway. "Now how dare you start attacking me and calling me names?" Her tone lowered to a dangerous level as her eyes burned into his. "This has nothing to do with you! I am not Kikyou, I am Kagome! Do you get that?! Would you finally get that..!" Her voice lowered down and she bit her fist to keep the sobs from tearing her, trying to control her breathing. From one extreme end to the other on the radar of emotional spectrum in one day... It was such a roller-coaster ride.

"That is enough." She heard firm but calm words just from behind her and felt a warm hand on her hip, pulling her back. She stumbled backwards and turned to his chest, burying her face into his white haori. His arm around her hips tightened, pulling her a little closer to him. Coming from him, it felt as good as a bear hug and soothing words whispered to her ear.

Inuyasha started to rise up slowly and Kagome saw that from the corner of her eye. "Sit." she whispered in a broken voice and the hanyou connected with the ground again, letting out a yelp. "Okay okay, I get it!" He yelled at her, his voice muffled by the grass he was all but spitting from his mouth. "Stop that already." His voice now was more sincere, almost... sorry. She knew he hated to see her cry. He would always get all baffled and try to make her feel better. But today that wouldn't really help her.

Kagome pulled away from Sesshoumaru, brushing her tears away with her hands. She took a couple of shaky breaths. "Let's find that Naraku bastard and kill him. So that we can all continue to our respectful directions." She spoke, her tone harsh.

Miroku and Sango looked at her with slight saddness on their faces. She knew Sango wanted to kill Naraku for killing her clan and abducting her little brother. Kohaku was still alive but he was totally at the hanyou's mercy. Miroku on the other hand needed to get rid of the kazaana in his palm before it killed him. And the only way to do that was to kill the person, Naraku again, who had once bestowed it upon his family.

Inuyasha's goal had been to kill Naraku ever since the hanyou caused his eternal sleep and his beloved miko's death. He had once been so close to having the perfect life he wanted with his miko, and yet Naraku had juts had to come and ruin things up. To this day now, Inuyasha had become a blood thirsty person who cared the most for his revenge. At times he would show his softer side but since showing that side of him had led him into trouble in the first place, the shows were rare. He blamed himself for what had happened to him and Kikyou. There was a fair chance he'd never stop blaming himself.

Even Shippou's clan had been on the receiving end of Naraku's wrath. The young kitsune was now an orphan and on his quest for revenge as well, although Inuyasha had already dealed with the killers of his family.

And she, Kagome? She just wanted to end this madness. She had had more than enough of travelling through the past era, fighting demons and fearing for her life, as well as her friends'. She wanted to go home and not have to burden her old grandfather by making him lie for her. Although high school was now over, her friends were still asking after her health from time to time. And always to their knowledge, she was sick.

That just had to end. No more of this. No more.

Her eyes travelled up to look at Sesshoumaru. The demon had... done something unexpected to sway her decision. After what had happened that morning, and with the effects of the mating mark, she wasn't sure anymore if she would even be able to leave for the future. Living without him... what life would that be? Life robbed of the person that had come to mean so much to her. In the years he had watched her to blossom to a woman and she had watched him to grow caring of his half brother, somehow a part of her had become to like him as a part of her respected him. And now... a part of her also... loved him.

Frowning slightly she wondered if love was too strong a word. But she did feel like she would lay her life on the line to save his, if it ever would come to that. She would want to stay by his side to face another day with him, together. Her heart would bleed if he got hurt, and she would do anything to cherish the smirk on his features he had gifted her with in a moment of realising something valuable to him. In realising her.

"It is time to put the plan into action." Kagome said, determination shining from her.

"Not so fast, miko."

Kagome froze and turned to stare at Sesshoumaru in shock. What now?!

"Naraku has gained power. Going against him in our current state would be too risky." He looked especially at her when saying that. "I request a week to gather reinforce."

"And what is this reinforce you talk about?" Sango asked, sifting hiraikotsu on her shoulder.

The white haired demon looked at the slayer with an air of confidence only he was capable of. "This Sesshoumaru has contacts. Demons that would be interested of the chance to get rid of Naraku."

Kagome blinked a couple of times, not believing him. He had been plotting behind her back, all this time, coming up with something like that? The corners of her mouth tugged upwards and she lifted a hand to cover her eyes, rubbing her temples. Oh... he was unexpected alright...

"Miko, a word with you."

The said miko looked up at the demon who was walking towards her. Her grapped her upper arm and yanked her with him, leading her to the forest to talk with her in privacy. With a soft tug he pulled her to his arms and lifted her up, using his demon speed to quickly set so distance between them and the camp. He let her down almost as fast as he had lifted her up, stopping in the middle of the forest.

"Listen," he said sharply, fixing her with a stern look, "I want you to return to your home." He then revealed, making her frown as progressed what he had just said.

Kagome looked at him for a moment, silent as a rock. "You..." she then uttered, "want me to... go back to the future?" She shook her head slowly. "You know I cannot do that. I must stay and fight, I-"

"-you will go back to the future." He repeated again.

"Seriously, Sesshoumaru. You are starting to piss me off." Kagome snapped, stepping back from him. Oh, this was really starting to become too much to handle in one day.

"I cannot afford to loose you now." He said, silently.

Tears started welling up into her eyes. "W-what..." She shook her head again, her resolve starting to crumble. She was scared. Lowering her face towards to the ground, she momentarily closed her eyes. She knew that with her battle skills and experience, going against Naraku would most probably turn out to be her doom. What the hanyou wanted was the other half of the Shikon, which was currently in her possession. But still she had intended to stay and fight, despite her fear. She couldn't leave her friends to face the trouble alone.

"Sesshoumaru-" She started but made her words die to her lips with a finger raised to seal her lips.

"Miko... Kagome." He then caught himself. "I will gather a bunch of bloodthirsty, strong demons. I can not guarantee your, or the Shikon's safety when they join. And in the oncoming battle, again, I cannot guarantee your safety. I do not want to have you killed."

Kagome gazed into his golden eyes with her sad brown ones, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"The most sensible thing would be for you to go to the future." He said, brushing his thumb over the wet streaks on her face rather gently. "That way, you and the Shikon would be safe. I sensed no trouble for you in the future when I was there."

The miko gulped, willing her tears away. He had been thinking about such things as her safety in the future as well? "Sess... Sesshoumaru you..." She lifted her own hands up to dry her eyes. She drew in a shaky, deep breath. "What about it when... the battle is over?" She couldn't bring herself to think it would end with him gone, no, the lone fleeting scenario of it was unbearable.

"I'll come get you." He promised. "Then you can make the jewel whole and it will be away from this era, not in the reach of power hungry demons. Perhaps you can even come up with a way to erase it from this world permanently..."

Wait, did he just say he'd bring it to the future? "So I am supposed to wait for you in the future, huh?" She asked, frowning in despair. "What if..." She gritted her teeth. "What if..." She couldn't bring herself to say it. "And what about... us?"

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Well that... is something that will have it's time." He muttered, his gaze trailing down to her lips. Kagome felt her heart beat one extra beat at the hungry look in his eyes. She then broke down and literally jumped against him, wrapping her hands around his neck and kissing his lips like he was her lifeline, her mere existence depending on him.

She never wanted to let go. Never.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

"I'm gonna miss you..." The black haired woman sniffed, hugging the red clad hanyou fiercely. The white haired half demon patted her on the back awkwardly, his head bent.

"Keh, it's not like this is the end of the world." The hanyou muttered, pulling himself sincerely free of her hug. "Now stop crying woman." He said, a little irritatedly.

Rin and Shippou were standing on the field of the time travelling well, holding hands, watching the goodbyes. They had already said their own. Although they were young still, even they could understand what was going on. They were to stay in the village below, of the miko Kaede, till the battle would be over. Jaken and Ah-Un would stay to guard them, and Shippou had sworn to the little girl he'd protect them as well. Kagome had trust in him.

"Miroku, Sango... I hope everything will work out for you." The miko said, trying to smile but it turned out as a grimace, before she went to hug Sango, the slayer almost in tears herself.

"Miko..." Sesshoumaru called, standing by the well, waiting.

When Kagome finally got herself pried off of her friends, she walked over to him, dragging her feet like she was a little child forced to go to the school despite not wanting to.

She took his offered hand and let him help her to stand upon the railing of the well. She turned to him, quickly leaning in to steal a kiss. His lips tasted to sweet and his scent filled her head, making her feel whole. She hated this. Why couldn't she just have stayed? Why couldn't the battle just be avoided?

She forced herself to broke the kiss, whispering in his ear in a haste, "I love you!" before leaning back from him and falling down into the well.

The molested inuyoukai looked down into the well and didn't close his eyes even when the light signalling a successful transfer in time momentarily blinded him. He could hear the tear drops she had shed as she fell meet the bottom of the dry well, hitting the ground and breaking into it. His eyes slid closed and claws sank into the wooden lid of the well as he fought with himself for a moment. Having seen how dreadful it was to her to split up with him did nothing to ease his raging instincts to rush after her.

No... he couldn't follow her now. He had a mission to accomplish. Then... he could see her again.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome's legs gave out from underneath of her as soon as she came into contact with the well's bottom in her time. She trembled and sobbed, not sure how long she actually spent throwing an emotional fit in the darkness of the well.

Her hands fumbled to find the ladder, and she proceeded in climbing off. The soft glow of the Shikon did nothing but irritate her greatly. Without it, none of this mess would exist!

But then again, without the Shikon she would have never come across Sesshoumaru either...

Cursing everything to hell and back in her mind, the black haired miko made it out of the well house, and to the house itself, going to her room. No one was home.

Throwing herself on her bed she just laid there, staring into nothingness. It would take them at least a week to gather the reinforcements. And after that... perhaps another week... perhaps less... or then more time...

Closing her eyes the miko hissed softly from between her teeth. How did they expect her to just wait idly here?

Opening her eyes she frowned. Then again, they trusted her to do just that. She couldn't go and endanger the plan. She would have to act her own part.

Something caught her eye on the corner of her vision and she turned her head, seeing something white draped over the back of her chair. Sitting up on the bed and reaching for the cloth she brought it up to her face, breathing in the scent that had latched itself on the material.

"Sesshoumaru..." She whispered the name, hugging the white button up shirt to her chest.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Author's Note: What, over a hundred reviews?? :) thank you, everyone, your interest in this fic is really appreciated. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	14. The Hearts Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

It had been two days waiting to hear anything from the other side of the well. Of course, no one came and life just flowed past her as it always did.

Kagome let out a long hard sigh, for the hundredth of time that day. She fisted her hands and stared down into the blackness of the empty well. Light was cast down from the open door of the well shed, light breeze making her long black hair brush past her shoulders to obscure her face. She bit her lip to keep herself from falling down and crying.

What was she doing? She was such a coward...

Leaning to lay her hand sincerely on the lid of the old well, her mind wandered back in time while she stayed in the future. It was so strange... if she didn't know she wasn't hallucinating she might have thought she was going mad... Demons... Real miko's... Youki, strange powers... Wolf demons... Gleaming demonic swords of ancestors... Time travelling...

She huffed softly. Her life was so screwed up...

For the moment she could only hope the rest were doing fine... That they were still alive.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Her friends Eri, Yuka and Auymi had been overjoyed to discover she was back home and feeling well. Kagome had spent some quality time with her friends, noticing that they actually could distract her from her thoughts momentarily. It seemed Eri had started seeing Hojo and the two were lovers now. Kagome couldn't wonder but how that had happened so fast.

"Hey, but how's your handsome boyfriend doing?"

Kagome's eyes snapped wide open and she jerked her head up to stare at Yuka who had asked the question. The black haired woman's face paled and her eyes unfocused, a horrified look overcoming her features.

"Kagome?" Ayumi asked worriedly, placing a comforting hand on her friend's back.

The black haired woman started shaking before finally breaking into tears. The three friends surrounded the crying woman. "He didn't dumb you, did he?" Eri asked quietly, looking at her friend with a sad expression, quite certain it was just as she thought.

"You dumbed him?" Yuka offered, frowning.

"He didn't die, did he?" Ayumi asked with a trembling, horrified voice.

Kagome halted in her crying, choking in her breath. She looked at Ayumi, streaks of hot burning tears flowing down her cheeks. "Ayumi!" She then cried out and reached out to hug her friend, clinging to her desperately, her sobbing heartbreaking.

"What happened to him?" Ayumi asked silently, rubbing her friend's back up and down comfortingly.

"I... he..." Kagome tried but almost started to hyperventilate, so upset she was. Her mind was full of worry and terrible scenarios of what could be happening to her loved ones in the past right now.

"Okay, lay down on the couch, you need to calm down." Eri said, taking the lead.

They laid the crying woman down, offering her some tissues, gathering around her. "Just calm down first." Eri soothed.

Kagome's breathing started to slowly get regular again and her sobs died down until she was just dabbing her eyes with a tissue, her lower lip trembling with the promise of more tears.

"Tell us what happened." Yuka asked softly.

The black haired woman took in a deep calming breath and stared at the ceiling. How could she possibly tell her friends about it? "Well..." she started, taking a deep breath, her brain working it's hardest to find a way to explain. "He... had to go to this region where there is a civil war going on-"

Her friends gasped.

"-and I... have lost contact with him since two days ago and I don't know... if he's even alive any more!" Kagome closed her tingling eyes and pressed the tissue to them, trying to keep herself from crying.

"Oh, Kagome, we had no idea!" Yuka spoke out.

Kagome was working hard to find a way to explain everything so that her friends would get it and it would be similar to what had actually happened. "I was at first to go with him, but then he... insisted I'd stay behind. He promised he'd be alright and come back to me in one piece... we... we are..." Kagome sniffed, gulping the hard lump in her throat. "Engaged." She then finally let the word out, confessing it.

Three gasps echoed in the room. Tears were falling down Ayumi's face and Eri and Yuka looked to be on the verge of crying too. "Oh Kagome!" Eri then cried out and hugged her friend tightly.

"That is so horrible, just... I can't even imagine what you must be going through!" Yuka shook her head, her eyes gleaming with tears.

"I just... I can't bear to live without him anymore!" Kagome sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut tight. "I love him!"

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Auymi, Eri and Yuka had taken it as their objective to not leave Kagome alone for long period of time. They saw their friend was not really in a state to think thing clearly and they feared for her well-being.

Every day they visited her and asked if she had heard anything from her fiancée and every time the answer would a no. Kagome was feeling miserable, missing Sesshoumaru so much that her whole body was aching and her soul was being tortured. She would have given anything to be with him again, be in his strong warm arms and let his scent invade her senses, reassuring her that everything would be alright.

But he wasn't here. He was 500 years in the past. If he would have just been in the same time and on the other side of the world, but to be separated by something so ridiculous as centuries... It just was a little too much. Many times she had stood one leg thrown over the edge of the well, ready to jump. But every time she had not, hearing Sesshoumaru's words and remembering she had promised him she wouldn't disobey. It would be for the well-being of them all. If she was to go back to the time now she could become Naraku's target and the bastard could use her to kill everyone else. That she would never be able to forgive herself.

One morning after a little over a week had passed Kagome went downstairs to open the door. It was Saturday and she had made plans with the three to go out for a picnic.

As she opened the door and welcomed her friends in, the scent of sandwiches and sickly sweet strawberry soda waffled up to her nose. Her eyes widened and she clasped a hand over her mouth, rushing off before her friends had the time to ask what was wrong. They heard the sound of retching coming from the kitchen and frowned, closing the door behind them and going after their friend to find out what was going on.

Kagome was standing by the sink, bent over it, her knuckles white from clutching the sink so desperately. She rinsed her mouth with water and then closed the tap, spitting into the sink. She slowly sank to the floor and buried her face into her hands. Now it was all starting to make sense to her...

"Kagome? Oh honey if you are feeling ill we don't have to go." Auymi started.

"Yeah we can just chance the plans." Yuka agreed.

But Eri was silent, watching at the woman sitting on the floor now. "Do you want me to go get one?" She then asked quietly, setting the picnic basket on the table and covering it with her jacket to keep the scents from getting to her friend's delicate sense of smell.

Kagome nodded without looking at Eri.

"There's a drug store just down the street. I'll be back soon enough." Eri said before disappearing out of the door, leaving Yuka and Auymi staring after her in shock and confusion.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The four women were staring at the white stick sitting on the coffee table before them. Kagome's eyes had a faraway look to them while the other three tried to keep silent the best they could. In their minds they were all guessing.

"I think it's time." Eri spoke up, waking everyone from the trance.

Kagome leaned over to take the stick from the table and brought it before her, looking at it. She then let out a deep sigh and clutched the stick in her hand tightly, closing her eyes.

"What is it?" Yuka asked curiously.

"Which one is it?" Ayumi echoed.

Eri pried the stick from the woman's hand, taking it and looking. Her face then paled and she looked up at Kagome with wide eyes.

"I wanna see!" Yuka pouted and snatched the stick from Eri. She and Ayumi leaned their heads together to see it, then both snapped their heads up to look at Kagome also.

It was positive.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Inside her head was a raging storm going on. Of course! How had she not thought about this before!

It explained so many things. How Sesshoumaru had been so adamant to sent her to a safe place, how he had made her promise to stay in the future. He must have known about this. He must have planned this from the start! Kagome's breathing was picking up with her mixed emotions and she buried her face into her hands, closing her eyes.

"Kagome..?" Eri asked carefully.

After a while the woman slowly lifted her head up and opened her hazel eyes. She had a determined look to her now. He'd better not be dead. She was so not going to get through this alone. She just couldn't get through this alone. He'd have to make it.

'So don't you dare die on me.' She cursed in her mind.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The white haired youkai halted in his steps, lifting his head to look up at the sun. Some of the youkai he was travelling with towards their meeting place walked past him, glancing at him in curiosity.

The inuyoukai slanted his eyes. His senses were alarming him, but it was about nothing that was going around him here. It was just a vague feeling, nothing more... The feeling spread all over his senses and made his breath catch.

"Yo, are you coming or what?" One of the youkai called to him, the party having stopped to wait for him.

The inuyoukai started walking again, pushing past them and resuming the journey. Something was different with Kagome... The connection of the mark connecting them was intensifying. And it was making him restless.

The mere thought of her made his insides twist and a terrible longing grasp his heart. If it was not for his decades of training and self control he might have just as well ran the opposite direction and jumped down the well and kissed her senseless...

Mentally shaking his head the inuyoukai looked up ahead of him. There was a camp to be seen in the distance, the mixed youki so strong he could feel it up till here. The rest of the demons he had recruited were with him and now that they were all together, the hunt for the hanyou could begin. He could only hope Inuyasha had been doing his job while he was away and was tracking the hanyou to keep him from disappearing. But with the senses of some of the youkai that had gathered, they'd be sure to find Naraku, where ever he was hiding. All of them were just itching to sink their claws into the troublesome hanyou.

A cruel smirk spread to his face. Oh yes, he would enjoy this.

Green poison started dripping from the tips of his claws, burning away the grass the drop hit onto but he was hardly paying it any mind. His eyes narrowed. All the pain the hanyou had caused would be avenged and the Shikon jewel united. After this would be over with, he might get to his mate.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The night had fallen and the moon had risen to the sky. It was almost non-existent, just a little thin line of cold yellow out against the dark skies that were illuminated by the lights of the never sleeping city. A sudden revelation drew to her. Inuyasha would be loosing his hanyou abilities and turn human. At the worst possible time.

Kagome hugged the blanket around her tighter, shivering against the chilly night air coming in from the open window. She was sitting on the windowsill, not being able to sleep. Lowering her eyes to the well house on the yard her eyes saddened. This was such torture, stupid torture... Her fingers rose up to clutch the Shikon jewel half hanging from a chain on her neck. It's soft pink glow caressed her skin, humming softly with power.

"All the mess you lead me to..." she muttered to the jewel, shaking her head.

What if Sesshoumaru would not return? What if when he found about the child he would reject her? Hadn't the demon always scorned his father for mating with a human? Hated Inuyasha for being a hanyou?

A tear slid down her cheek to blear into her skin, leaving behind a wet trail that slowly started drying up, leaving her skin feeling sticky.

If he wouldn't die, he would abandon her anyway. Was that where it was coming to? One way or another he would leave her. She fell into despair and stared into nothingness apathetically.

Her hand that was not clutching the Shikon rose to lay itself over her belly. She felt silly.

Who was she to doubt him? Surely he wouldn't have done all the things he had done just to fool her, no... that would be ridiculous. Could it be that... he really did feel something for her? That he would really...

Her breath hitched into her throat. "Love me?" She whispered to the darkness of the night, frowning in confusion. Slowly her confusion turned into a smile and she bowed her head.

"You'd better come back soon..." She whispered softly, feeling the Shikon pulse to her heartbeat.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	15. Reunite

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Grasping the idea of being pregnant was a little hard for Kagome. Her overworked brain was overwhelming her, forcing her to sit down and take it easy. The mark on her neck was hurting her, standing red out of her pale skin. She wasn't quite sure what was happening to it, and it worried her all the more. If somebody like Sango just had been there to explain it all to her... or better yet, Sesshoumaru.

The thought of the mere name brought tears to her eyes which she then stubbornly brushed away, refusing to start crying. What good were her tears? They certainly would not help her friends back in the past. Kagome sighed tiredly, shielding her face with her hand as she was sitting on the sofa in the living room, the early morning sunlight gliding in from the windows to tease her senses. It had already been two weeks. Two weeks!

Somebody went to the bathroom upstairs, she could hear the door closing and then the sound of the water running. Kagome stretched and slowly got up from where she had been laying and eventually slept since the little hours of the night. She felt restless. Slipping her legs over the edge of the cushions and her feet flat against the floor, she rose up, walking outside to the yard.

She looked up at the great old Goshinboku tree. It's branches were glistering with rain drops and the ground under her shoes was moist. Little birds were waking up, enjoying the somewhat quiet moment in the early morning. Opening the door to the well shed she walked inside, letting the door be open to let in some light. She walked the stairs down and didn't stop until she was standing with her thighs brushing against the wooden lid of the well.

Gazing down to the darkness she stayed there, staring. Her mind was blank. For the longest of time she just stood there, gazing into nothingness, listening to her own breathing and the thumping of her heart. Mechanically she lifted to lay her hand on the edge, then moved one leg over it as well. Her hands sought for the ladder she knew were there somewhere. Her fumbling fingers found them and she moved her leg on one of the vertical wooden steps, proceeding to move entirely inside the well.

"Stop."

She gasped, her head jerking up. She moved her head around, her eyes searching for the person who had just spoken that word. For a slight passing second she believed she had just imagined it all but then she saw... saw him.

She didn't think, she just acted. Climbing back up from the well she set her feet back on the floor of the shed and ran, ran towards him. Throwing her arms around him she collided with his body, pressing her face against his shirt. Wait... shirt? Her eyes fluttered open and she saw what he was wearing. A sense of cold fear surged through her, making her sober up and let go of him. She took a couple of steps back, then a couple of more until there were some two meters setting them apart. Her emotion charged eyes were staring at him in shock. "Who are you?" She then asked, not quite sure what she was supposed to see, to believe he was.

The white haired man who looked quite just like Sesshoumaru, sounded quite like Sesshoumaru... something was strange there about him. She noted he had no marking to adore his face, his build was a little different when she compared what she saw now to what she remember him to be like, and those clothes he wore were something she knew he did not own and they did not have in their house for him to borrow. His hair was slightly shorter cut than what she remembered, too. "Who are you?" She asked him again and this time she frowned, her voice taking a suspecting tone.

He was examining her with his gaze. His golden brown eyes were so alive as they were running over the most minute details of her, drinking everything up like they had been starving to see her for ages. His lips parted but he could not but look at her.

Kagome's distrust grew. "Who are you and why do you look like Sesshoumaru?" She demanded, her voice harsh as she backed all the way back to the well, laying her hand on the lid, seemingly ready to jump down the well if he would turn out to be a threat to her. At the moment she was gravely confused, her mind not being able to comprehend what she saw.

"Ka... Kagome..." The name passed his lips in a whisper still loud enough that she heard it. She frowned harder, her eyes starting to moisten up threateningly. That voice was so... She momentarily closed her eyes, biting her teeth together. He took a step closer but she snapped at him, "Don't come closer!" She was left gasping however when he had moved in a blink of an eye, taking a hold of her and drawing her back from the well, turning them around so that his back was now facing the well and she was standing between him and the door to the shed. When she let out a startled scream and made a move to run he gripped her arm stopped her, wrapping his other arm around her to keep her close to him.

"Let me go!" Kagome screamed, terrified.

"Kagome. Kagome! Kagome listen to me!" He yelled back at her, shaking her to make her stop and look at him. She was flooded with fear, although a part of her was screaming back at her to look at him closer. "It is I."

"No..." The black haired woman denied, shaking her head desperately. She again tried to escape from him but his grip was firm. She saw him clench his jaw in frustration and she had no other choice but to obey when he pushed her backwards, all the way against to a wall, trapping her. His heated golden eyes bored down to hers, and she looked up into them in shock. His fingers trailed her neck up to her face, sliding down her cheek to grasp her chin. "Do you not remember me?" He asked her, his voice sounding strained as he leaned forward brushing his lips against hers. It was nothing but a gentle caress before he repeated it, and then again, and again...

Kagome squeezed her shut, moving her lips against his. His tongue parted her lips and trailed over her white teeth, until she opened her clenched jaws and let him in. He explored her mouth, coaxing her tongue to play with his. It was so... familiar, yet strange. But she could remember... he felt the same way, kissed the same way they had kissed...

Her eyes fluttered open. "Sesshoumaru..?" She asked in confusion, looking at him from under hooded lids. "But... how..."

He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent. "You have no idea how I have missed you..." He muttered to her with longing, his hands messing themselves to her black stresses. She looked at him with still confused eyes. "What happened?" She uttered out, already knowing she was not going to like what she would hear.

"First of all, I cannot let you go back to the past." He told her, taking her hand and leading her outside the shed. "I'll explain everything to you..." There was just almost too much to be explained now.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Kagome was sitting on a bench under the wide spread branches of the Goshinboku. Her widened eyes were staring at him in wonder as she listened to what he told her.

"You mean... you won Naraku but..?" The miko slowly shook her head, frowning.

"It had severe costs." He affirmed. "Inuyasha, your human friends... they never walked out of the battle."

Tears slid down from Kagome's eyes to smear with her skin, her lower lip starting to tremble. "Inuyasha... he... died?" She had to ask.

The golden eyes of the demon so familiar to his half brothers looked back at her calmly. "Yes. The wounds were lethal. Even with Tenseiga there was nothing I could do to save him. He was too far gone by the time that I got to him..." There was a flash of something in his eyes, perhaps despair, as he remembered those moments again. Kagome gulped, licking her dry lips. She absent mindedly brushed her tears away with the back of her hand, taking a deep breath. "But you didn't die." It was more like a statement. He couldn't have died if he was sitting right before her, now couldn't he? But it also meant that... "You are from this time." She figured out, blinking her troubled eyes.

"Yes." He confirmed. His eyes gazed at her fleetingly before turning to gaze at the sunrise. She saw him heave a large sigh, his chest moving with it as his expression dulled a little, his eyes saddening.

"You never came back to me." She went on, watching how he reacted. He didn't look at her. The miko's lips parted, "you went on with your life."

At that he looked back at her sharply. "I did it to protect you." He insisted, turning to her and taking her smaller, cold hands to his. "It was an era of war. This era was peaceful. Relatively safe for you to live in." He searched her eyes but she refused to look straight back at him. "You never belonged to the past." He said grimly. "All the less did you belong with a demon. You deserved so much better."

At his words Kagome's anger was starting to get out of check. "Deserved better?" She shrieked out, yanking her hands from his and standing up. "Do you hear yourself what you are saying? What ever happened to the claiming-thing, you wishing to have me as your mate?" She demanded to know, staring back at him like a pissed off dragon. "For kami's sake, look!" She pulled down the collar of her blouse, showing him the mark still there. She saw his eyes widen in shock. "It has been a month for me! Not five hundred years! Do you actually believe.... you..." Her anger was turning to sorrow and disappointment which was showing up as tears. Her voice trembled, and she covered her face with her hand, trying to keep herself from sobbing.

"Kagome-" he started but she gave him a silencing glare. She stumbled a couple of steps from him with her back turned towards him, wrapping her arms around herself, squeezing her eyes shut and biting to her lip to keep herself from sobbing. She breathed in shakily, opening her eyes to gaze at the blue sky. "How could I have put my trust in you?" She asked, sounding defeated. "You were going to leave me anyway..."

"That's not true." He had stood up and was now standing right behind her. She huffed sarcastically. She felt his hand on her arm, and stiffened. "I never meant to intentionally hurt you." He said, almost gently.

Kagome stepped forward, out of his reach. She turned back around to look at him, into those golden eyes. "What happened to the Shikon no Tama?" She asked, now remembering he had not told her anything about it.

He frowned ever so slightly. If she had not been studying his expressions so thoroughly, she might have missed it. But she didn't, and it alarmed her to trouble. "What is it?" She asked him.

"The Shikon no Tama disappeared in the battle." He said simply. "It was never found. Before you were born." His eyes looked sharply at her.

Kagome felt her heart take a faster beat in her chest. He meant... Of course, she felt silly now. "You've been watching me grow up?" She asked him incredulously.

He shrugged, tucking his hands to his black designer suit pants pockets. His eyes looked at her in a manner that said, 'well, what did you expect?'.

That meant... Kagome gulped, closing her eyes. A wave of panic washed over her. How much did he know? "So why are you here all of a sudden when I have never seen you before?" She asked him, feeling the need to sit down again. She did, actually, walking back to the bench and lowering herself back down to sit, gathering her hands to her lap, staring at the gravel on the ground absent-mindedly.

"I had sworn not to interfere with your life." He told her, his voice dancing in her head. "I have been abroad doing business lately. I couldn't risk running into Inuyasha... or myself... one of these days." She lifted her eyes to look at him again and saw him looking at her. "If I had calculated right, this is the day the well was sealed and you couldn't have come back any more." He told her, making her startle. "You would have only hurt yourself in trying to go back."

Kagome momentarily closed her eyes. This all was just a bit too much to handle. "So you mean to tell me I cannot go back to the past, from where you... pushed me away to..." she shook her head, at a loss of words. She looked up at him with mixed feelings. What did she mean to him now? "You have changed." She then finally said, casting her eyes back down.

"And you have not changed one bit from the vague memories I have of you." He answered, sounding far away.

A clawed paw of pain grasped her heat, making it bleed. Where did they go from here? What was their future now that the other was a complete stranger? She shook her head. "I need some time alone to think about this all..." She said, breathing out shakily.

"I can understand." He said to her. "Just promise me... you don't try to go back to the past."

She nodded mutely, rubbing her tingly eyes. She let out a little huff. "What is there for me to go back to anyway?" She retorted, her tone bitter.

He lingered. "This is a lot to get used to." He then said, a breeze making his hair sway in the wind in a familiar manner.

She didn't answer, just stared before her, trying not to look at her. It just hurt too much now. "Please... go." She pleaded, her voice heart breaking.

She heard his footsteps as he walked away from her. Then he stopped, looking back. "I will come back to see you. There is a couple of things we need to discus when you have calmed down."

"Yes. There are..." She agreed, unbeknownst to him what she really meant saying those words.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Watching him disappear from the yard Kagome just sit under the Goshinboku for so long that the minutes were starting to feel like hours. The tears trickling down her cheeks were ceasing, leaving her feeling empty, heavy.

The person she loved was gone. Forever. This... new Sesshoumaru... he was colder. He was distant. He was not the one she had learned to knew. She could comprehend he was even the same person. To her, the feudal era Sesshoumaru was a completely different person when compared to this modern day one. If she didn't know for sure that there was nothing wrong with her mental stability, she might have thought that what had transpired in the morning had really never happened.

Opening her eyes she rose up. She did not feel him anywhere. No demons in her radar. But she couldn't trust that. Surely he would be cautious...

Calmly but fast she walked to the well shed and almost ran to the well. She threw her legs over the lid of the well and biting her teeth together she stared to the empty blackness of the well. Thinking better of it, the reached for the ladder and started climbing down. Her body knew the movements and she didn't have to see in the dark to know where she was going, where she should place her feet for the next stepping.

She faltered slightly when she got to the bottom and her feet touched the damp ground. She let go of the ladder and stood in the darkness, her eyes roaming the blackness that she couldn't see. The soft glow of the Shikon was her only light, softly illuminating the space. Just when she was about to sigh and crumble down she felt the Shikon pulse. It was a strong pulse, sending tremors coursing all over her body. She saw the familiar blue light envelope her and felt the ground disappear from under her feet.

Her eyes widened and her last thoughts were that Sesshoumaru had lied to her. Why?

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

When the light disappeared she found herself looking up at a perfect blue sky. Blinking she felt a worn old rope hanging down against the rock wall of the round deep hole, her climbing rope. She gripped it with both hands and started slowly climbing up, noting that it was easier now without her yellow back bag to hinder her down.

Getting to the top, she looked around herself. She was at the right time? A little further she could see a village. Kaede's village.

"Meow!"

She startled almost falling back down to the pit. "Kirara?" She gasped, her eyes widening at the sight. Some meters from the well was a beige coloured neko laying on the ground, in a pool of something dark that looked awfully like blood. "Kirara!" The miko rushed to the neko, dropping down to her knees next to it, worried. Kirara closed its eyes, it's breathing a little irregular. It nuzzled her, and now Kagome realised there was something tied to its neck. She untied the scarf – one that she recognized belonged to Sango. There was a leather pouch tied to the scarf. Kagome didn't need to open it to know what it contained. She gasped.

Hadn't Sesshoumaru told her that the Shikon had disappeared?

Kagome opened the pouch, looking at it's contents. There was a note, written on a hastily ripped dirty piece of a scroll. She recognized the handwriting to also belong to Sango.

_Take the jewel and run. Take it to a safe and protect it as we could not. Never let it fall to the hands of a demon, never! When you read this message it is obvious that Kirara succeeded and that there are already youkai after you. Hurry! We will be all right, don't worry about us, just go._

The message was written in a hurry, and it was not signed. It didn't need to be. She fisted it into her hand, tears starting a new. She knew that they were not going to be all right! Things were never going to be fine again!

She felt a presence of a strong youki approaching. Fear flooding her mind, she got up to her feet and ran back to the well, giving the exhausted neko one last pat of a goodbye before plunging right into the depths of the well, clutching the tainted half of the Shikon no Tama in her hands. It's glow had turned to a pink colour by the time she crossed the timeline. For the last time.

Had the miko waited a little longer, she would have seen Kirara's eyes glaze up as it drew in its last breath, more than willing to follow its mistress to the worlds banned from the living. The neko caught up in flames and as the flames died away, there was nothing but ashes left to be blown away by the wind.

Not a minute later did a youkai arrive to the clearing. His silver white hair blew in the wind, blood marring his skin and clothes. Those golden eyes were staring at the well, that delicate nose sniffing freshly the scent of his to-be-mate. He shook his head, thinking he must have been imagining it. Heading for the village he went to find the old miko there. She must possess a spell or a way to seal the well. Kagome couldn't be allowed back. Not to this mess.

It was only a matter of time when the rest of the youkai were going to come after him, demanding to know where he had hidden the Shikon. He might end up loosing his life battling off those youkai. If she would be there, with the other half of the powerful jewel... He couldn't even bear the thought of loosing her. He would have to search for the jewel alone. That was the least he could do since having screwed things up so bad...

He knew what he had promised her. But he couldn't fulfil that promise now. Perhaps never.

In time, she would forgive. She would move on, forget about him.

Yes, she would.

If he was to go there now... She wouldn't let him return. He might not allow himself to return. But that was not the way things could go onwards. Not like that. With the news of the loss of her friends, she would be devastated. It would be better if she would not know the truth. If she'd believe they had lived happily ever after.

And if... if he would be there to break the news to her... No. He couldn't afford himself such luxury, the luxury of thinking he would be alive to tell her. Every part of him itched to go, leave this mess behind and hold her in his arms, never let go. But if he'd go, the others would follow him. They would hurt his Kagome.

A snarl broke out, a deep growl making his chest rumble. The well would need to be sealed. Now. The era she lived in was safe for her. This era... it was just not meant to be.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

The white haired man walked down the street, wind disturbing his hair and his mind troubled beyond imagination. He had chosen to walk to clear his head. A group of giggling girl passed him and he didn't even really notice them before he heard them stop and call his name. His head snapped up and he halted, turning back to look at the three girls gaping at him.

"Hey, you coming from Kagome's?" One of them asked, smiling at him in a surprised manner. The question made him wonder if he should know the three young women.

"You made it!" Another squalled. "She's gonna be so happy that you came back alive! She's been waiting for you so bably."

"You should marry her the faster the better now, you know." One of them, the most silent one said with a knowing smile. "The baby's gonna need a father and Kagome a husband."

He was confused. "A baby?" The words passed his lips before he could stop them.

"Yeah, ups! Sorry, now we spoiled it for you. I can't believe she didn't tell you..." One of them wondered. "Guess she was just waiting for the right time. No worries thought, you are gonna be a great dad-"

Sesshoumaru had heard all he needed to know. He should have known something was wrong with her. He made it down the street and back to the shrine at an admirable speed. He hopped the great stairs up six at a time. At first he didn't sense her and he panicked. Then, when he concentrated, he started feeling the familiar miko powers. They were coming from the well.

He rushed to the shed in time to see a flashing blue light. He was at the edge, peering down into the darkness and his heart gave an extra beat when he heard her breathing. "Kagome?" He asked worriedly, and heard her gasp.

"Sesshoumaru?" She asked, "wait, I'll climb up..." He could hear her start climbing up the ladder and forced himself not to plunge into the well and get her himself. It wasn't until she was almost at the top that he reached down and pulled her up and out of the well. She looked up at him in wonder, holding out her palm.

He looked at what she showed him in confusion, that then turned to disbelief. His eyes raced to her neck to see the Shikon half that was hanging there on it's customary place to confirm it to himself. It was the missing half of the Shikon no Tama that she was holding in her hands.

Their eyes met. Hers were looking so delicate and vulnerable that they just begged him to pull her closer to shield her from the dangers of the world. He reached for her and she came easily, slumping against his chest exhaustedly. He held her tightly, fearing that if he let go, she might just go and disappear from him for ages. That he could deal with no longer.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:


	16. Final Days

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, but the new plot is mine.

* * *

She was looking so fragile she could break into millions of pieces. Despite that she hugged him back fiercely. He could smell her salty tears in the air. Laying his chin gently upon his head his arms wrapped around him pulled her flush against him, delighting in the feel of her after so many years, the shock of what she had just done making his blood run cold. He could sense her calming, her breathing evening out a little.

"You just had to go against my wishes..." he muttered, leaning back to look into her eyes. His gaze was not blaming. "I should have known."

She sniffed pitifully and he brushed away her tears with the back of his hand. "You have no idea how much I searched for that little gleaming piece..." He spoke, his hand lingering on her cheek. She looked up at him with her widened hazel brown eyes. "Yet you have had it all this time." He sighed, his golden eyes looking down at the glowing Shikon no Tama halves.

"Since twenty seconds ago." She said out pitifully, shaking her head, her eyes looking at him sorrowfully. She felt the rough material of the scroll piece against the skin of her palm. Tears were shining in her eyes, dripping down from the corners of her eyes without her consent. Lowering her gaze she bit to her lower lip, fighting the sobs.

He pulled her back against him and lowered his chin upon her head. "When were you going to tell me..?" He asked her, his tone a little troubled. "You were just going to let me leave like that and keep everything to yourself?"

Kagome pulled back in confusion, looking up at him in surprise. What was he talking about?

"Kagomee!" The cheerful voice of her friends startled her, making her turn to see them climb to the top of the stairs and walk to the yard. They smiled widely at Sesshoumaru. Her eyes widened as she put two plus two together. He had already met with her friends. Her head whipped back to look at him. And that was the reason he was here...

"Oh Kagome we are so happy for you!" Ayumi chirped, Eri looking excitedly at her black haired crying friend and the tall long haired man who was standing there with his hands loosely looped around the woman's hips. They looked like lovers.

Kagome stared up at Sesshoumaru. Her lips parted to ask him if he knew, but the words got caught in her throat. She lowered her gaze, not knowing what to do. Luckily for her, he took the command.

"Kagome and I would appreciate a moment of privacy." He said to the three young women beaming up at him.

"Oh!" Yuki gasped. "Of course!"

"Kagome?" Ayame asked and the black haired woman just nodded at her, "I am alright."

"We'll call you tomorrow." Eri promised, waving at them and dragging Ayame and Yuki away with her.

When they were once again left alone on the yard Kagome started feeling like she could collapse at any given second. "Take me inside the house." She pleaded Sesshoumaru who, without a question, hoisted her up on his arms and carried her back to the house. He laid her down on the cough in the living room. He sat down with her on the cough.

Kagome's chocolate brown eyes stared at him: his face, his body, his eyes, lips... Her gaze finally fell down to look at his hands, which she then picked up and clasped with her fragile ones. Her lower lip trembled, but it was now mostly from relief.

"I'm so glad that you are alive!" She burst out, her face breaking into a wistful smile as a hysteric laugh escaped from inside of her.

He sat quietly, observing her with those golden pools that flickered back and away, always returning to pin her with the emotion in them.

The sun had risen and the warm glow of the sunbeams crept gently into the room from between the blinds that were obscuring the windows. Kagome started feeling anxious, like a caged bird. She stood up from the cough and walked up to the windows, pulling up the blinds. Momentarily she was blinded by the light, making her eyes automatically close before they automatically opened, letting the light invade her senses. She let out a deep breath, leaning forwards to press her forehead against the cool glass which started warming up from the combination of her body heat and the heat of the sun's.

Her heart beat calmed to a more regular rhythm and when she felt his arms wrap around her hips gently, the resistance left in her being started slipping away. Like raindrops glided over leaves of a tree to moisten the ground, to be absorbed by the roots to nourish the leaves. The silence of the beautiful moment calmed them both.

* * *

"Mommy, where's Daddy?"

The woman sitting on a bench looked up from a book she was reading. "Darling, you have asked that from me five times during the last..." she glanced at her diamond decorated wrist watch, "five minutes."

The little girl sitting on the grassy ground pouted, her golden eyes narrowing in building frustration. She let out a grunt much the same way a certain hanyou would have as she flopped on her back on the grass, lifting her hands up to try and catch the fluffy clouds leisurely sailing across the blue afternoon sky.

"Daddy's always at work..." She wailed, remembering to pout again.

"He has his beloved work..." The woman said, closing the book of the Feudal Era history of Japan, written by her, and put it into her handbag. "Don't be so hard on him – he promised to be here. And if he won't, Mommy's gonna give him a little reminder..."

The two partners in crime smiled widely at each other and the little girl got up from the grass, running up to her mother. "Can I too?" She asked innocently, giving her mother her best puppy eyes look.

"No, you can't." Her mother denied her, brushing the dirt from the girls pink summer dress and picking her up to have her sit on her lap. "You still have a long way to go to controlling your powers. If you try them on Daddy you might hurt him. Now we don't want to hurt Daddy, now do we?"

"No..." The little girl shook her mass of black hair, her lively golden eyes smiling up at her mother. "Can I test them on Shippou-kun, then?" She asked, almost bouncing on her place from excitement. "When will he come to visit us again, Mommy?" She demanded to be let known.

"He just visited us last weekend." The older of the two sighed. In her mind she thanked the kitsune youkai for giving her and her mate a moment to spend together in privacy.

The woman snapped out of her thoughts as her girl jumped off from her lap, laughing happily. "Look! Daddy's at home!" She pointed towards the house before taking to running.

The black haired woman stood up, straightening up her white summer dress and taking after her daughter. Her gentle brown eyes watched with a smile as a tall man dressed in a tailored dark blue business suit bent down to pick up the enthusiastic girl. His golden eyes looked at the little girl loving as she kept telling him about how much she'd missed him while he was away.

"I wonder how you are ever going to adapt to school..." He wondered as he walked closer to the woman, giving her a charming smile.

She tilted her head to the side, pursing her lips slightly while smiling, giving him a expectant look. He huffed softly at her and stepped in to give her a kiss on the lips.

"Eww, that's gross." The little girl between them protested, looking up at her father. "Kiss." She demanded.

He raised an eyebrow at her, but then gave a her fleeting kiss on the cheek, starting then to tickle her. She let out a shrill scream that then turned to laughter, and before long she was begging for him to stop, trying to gasp her breath as happy tears were sliding from her eyes.

"Hmn, I see she's been running all over the backyard again?" He then noted, picking a green piece of grass from the girls hair and turning his golden stare to the woman before him. "What do you have to say about that, Kagome?" He then asked.

The said woman shrugged her pretty shoulders, smiling enticingly. "Oh come on. She's a free spirit."

"I told you two to look presentable." He reminded her while shifting the girl, who was now fascinated with his hair, in his arms.

"Daddy isn't looking that much presentable, don't you agree darling?" Kagome smoothly replied, exchanging glances with her daughter whose eyes lit up.

"Yeah, Daddy needs braids!" She agreed with a squeal, grapping fistfulls of his hair from over his shoulder and starting to try and braid the strands. All three of them knew she was going to fail miserably, but that did not stop the little girl from trying and enjoying every minute of it.

"She's your biggest fangirl." Kagome mused.

"Right after you?" He asked.

"Hmn, perhaps that so." She agreed, smiling still. She walked to his side, sliding her arm from the loop of his and starting to walk by his side. "We should get going."

"What's the hurry?" He asked her, looking down into her eyes. "We have all eternity together, Shikon Miko."

She showed him her tongue but couldn't resist the smirk that overtook her features. "Sesshoumaru, if you seriously wish to sleep in the same bed with me tonight, you take us to that dinner now and promise me you didn't buy your daughter a horse as her birthday present."

There was a silence from him and an excited squeal from the girl from was now hugging the tall man fiercely.

"No you didn't." Kagome hissed at him from underneath her breath.

"Don't worry, it's plastic." He winked at her, making her shake her head and exhale in relief.

And so they walked off from the backyard of their house, happily chatting and smiling, with no worries of tomorrow.

Because for her, there would always be a time in her history where she was sitting in a meadow with her beloved friends, a time that would never disappear and was in there somewhere in her past. Like another reality co-existing with the present time. In that reality Inuyasha was still there, smiling at her that fanged smile of his. And even if she would one day forget, the moment would forever stay in time.

* * *

The End.

* * *


End file.
